Petr Yan open to Sean O’Malley rematch after Merab Dvalishvili trilogy

Yan, who defends the UFC bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, expects the Georgian to wrestle for 25 minutes and has vowed to finish him.

By Combat Sports UK Staff · Published Wed 21 Oct, 14:23 UK · AI-assisted reporting

Petr Yan has said he would welcome a rematch with Sean O’Malley for his next title defence in 2027, provided he gets past Merab Dvalishvili in the co-main event of UFC 333.

O’Malley beat Yan by split decision in 2022, almost four years to the date of the Dvalishvili trilogy. The American has since won twice in a row after losing back-to-back title fights to Dvalishvili, beating Song Yadong on points and then knocking out Aiemann Zahabi in the second round on the UFC White House card in June.

Asked about O’Malley as a possible next opponent, Yan said: “For real, we have history, so why wouldn’t that be the fight?” The Russian champion added that he was “not necessarily impressed” by O’Malley’s recent performances, although he acknowledged the former champion was winning and had shown he was among the next in line for a title shot. Yan said it was ultimately for the UFC to decide his next challenger, pointing out that he had already fought many of the top five and does not choose his opponents.

First, Yan must deal with Dvalishvili for a third time. Yan regained the title at UFC 323 in December 2025 with an upset decision win over Dvalishvili, avenging a 2023 defeat to him and extending his winning streak to four. Dvalishvili has said he was not himself in that rematch and has made changes for UFC 333.

The pair have shared the octagon for 10 full rounds in the past three and a half years. Yan expects Dvalishvili to come forward with takedowns and pressure from the opening bell, and said his camp was ready to wrestle and to match the tempo if needed. Of stopping the Georgian in Abu Dhabi, he said: “And I’m gonna do whatever I can to finish the fight earlier this time around. I will put all of my effort into making sure that that happens.” Yan also played down recent comments about a possible move up to featherweight, explaining that he had only been asked whether he would rather go up or down a weight. He said the switch was not something he was considering and that he still had work to do at bantamweight.

In this story

Petr Yan Merab Dvalishvili Song Yadong Aiemann Zahabi