Sean O'Malley finds it strange that Petr Yan has never pushed for a rematch! The two first met in 2022, when O'Malley walked away with a controversial split-decision victory. Now that Yan has reclaimed the UFC bantamweight title, O'Malley is questioning why the champion hasn't shown any interest in fighting him again.🤔 🎥: (@dc_mma)
Sean O'Malley says he is puzzled that Petr Yan has never pushed for a rematch, even now that Yan has reclaimed the UFC bantamweight title. The comments surfaced in a clip shared by @dc_mma and come days after Yan's latest title win.
The two first met at UFC 280 on October 22, 2022, when O'Malley took a controversial split-decision victory over Yan across three rounds. O'Malley's point, as reported, is that a champion with an unresolved result against a top contender would be expected to ask for the fight again, and Yan has not.
The fighters
Yan, 33, is 21-5-0 and the reigning champion. The Russian, who fights out of the Archangel Michael Club, regained the belt at UFC 333 on October 24, beating Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision over five rounds. It was his second straight five-round win over Dvalishvili, after a unanimous decision at UFC 323 in December 2025. Yan lands 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy and averages 1.7 takedowns per 15 minutes, a far higher rate than O'Malley's.
O'Malley, 32, is 20-3-0 and ranked second at bantamweight. The American from MMA Lab lost his title fight to Dvalishvili by third-round submission at UFC 316 in June 2025. He has rebuilt since, beating Song Yadong by unanimous decision in January 2026 and stopping Aiemann Zahabi in the second round on June 14, 2026. His numbers are sharper on the feet: 6.05 significant strikes per minute at 60 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- O'Malley sits at number two in the division, and a rematch with the champion would be a natural title fight on ranking alone.
- The physical gap is notable. O'Malley is four inches taller at five-foot-eleven and owns a six-inch reach advantage, 72 inches to 67.
- The styles contrast clearly: O'Malley's high-accuracy striking against Yan's higher takedown rate of 1.7 per 15 minutes versus 0.24.
The original bout was decided by a split verdict, and neither fighter has gone back to settle it. Yan has not publicly responded to O'Malley's remarks, and no rematch has been announced.
