Sean O'Malley says he is fighting Petr Yan next, even if the UFC announces Yan vs Song Yadong

O'Malley, who beat Yan in 2022, wants the rematch in the United States early next year and called Daniel Cormier's question to Yan about Song "anticlimactic".

Sean O'Malley says he is fighting Petr Yan next, whoever the UFC lines up, after Yan kept the bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi.

Reacting to the fight in a video on his YouTube channel, O'Malley said: "I'm fighting Petr Yan next. I don't care what you want. Even if they announce Petr vs. Song, I'm still fighting Petr next."

In the cage interview after Yan's unanimous decision win (read more), Daniel Cormier asked Yan about Song Yadong rather than O'Malley. "That's f***ing anticlimactic," O'Malley said as he watched.

O'Malley beat Yan in 2022 and set out why he believes he is next: "Song fought Petr on one of my undercards when I defended my championship title, and Petr beat Song. I beat Petr. I beat Song. It's got to be me vs. Petr. As simple as that." He wants the fight in the United States in the first or second quarter of next year.

He said he did not think Yan was avoiding him, but added: "I don't think he'd pick me if he got to." O'Malley called the rematch "the biggest bantamweight fight in UFC history" and said he was surprised Yan did not call him out.

Dana White said at the UFC 333 post-fight press conference that he and the matchmakers were texting all night about Song and O'Malley as Yan's next opponent (read more).

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