Jose Aldo says Yan should fight O'Malley, not Dvalishvili

Jose Aldo has entered the bantamweight conversation, publicly calling for Petr Yan to be booked against Sean O'Malley instead of Merab Dvalishvili, arguing that the O'Malley matchup would be the more commercially attractive option.

Aldo, the 39-year-old Brazilian legend and former UFC featherweight champion, holds a career record of 32-10 and remains one of the most respected voices in the sport. His endorsement of O'Malley as "extremely marketable" carries weight given his own long tenure near the top of the UFC's pay-per-view ecosystem.

O'Malley, 31, currently sits fourth in the bantamweight rankings and carries one of the most eye-catching offensive profiles in the division. The switch-stance fighter out of MMA Lab lands 6.05 significant strikes per minute at a 60 percent striking accuracy rate — numbers that make him a consistent highlight-reel threat. Standing five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach, he holds a physical edge over most bantamweights.

Dvalishvili, meanwhile, is the division's top-ranked contender and sits second in the pound-for-pound rankings. The 35-year-old Georgian out of Serra-Longo Fight Team is built on an entirely different blueprint, averaging 6.4 takedowns per 15 minutes — an elite grappling pace that defines his identity as a pressure fighter. His record stands at 21-5.

Why it matters

• O'Malley at number four versus Dvalishvili at number one represents a significant rankings gap, giving matchmakers reason to consider other options for Yan
• A Yan vs. O'Malley bout would pit two of the division's most striking-focused names against each other, with clear fan-friendly appeal
• Dvalishvili's grappling-heavy style presents a sharply different tactical puzzle than O'Malley's volume striking game, making the stylistic stakes of this debate meaningful