Sean O’Malley willing to wait for title shot, calls rematch with Petr Yan the biggest bantamweight fight in history

Sean O'Malley is prepared to wait for a title shot against Petr Yan, calling a potential rematch between the two the biggest fight in bantamweight history.

O'Malley earned his second consecutive victory at UFC White House, stopping Aiemann Zahabi in the second round. The win solidifies his standing in the 135-pound title picture, especially given his prior split-decision victory over current champion Petr Yan at UFC 280 in 2022. However, Yan has unfinished business with Merab Dvalishvili, and a trilogy fight between the two appears likely. O'Malley says he's willing to wait if that's what needs to happen.

"Petr's the champ," O'Malley told MMA Fighting. "If I don't get that next, I wait. If Petr beats Merab, me vs. Petr. How do you not make that fight?"

O'Malley's 2022 victory over Yan led to a title shot against Aljamain Sterling, which he won. He later defended his title against Marlon "Chito" Vera, a fight O'Malley currently regards as the biggest in divisional history. However, O'Malley believes a rematch with Yan would surpass even that achievement in terms of mainstream appeal and financial numbers.

"Absolutely [it's the biggest fight in bantamweight history]," O'Malley said. "I would love to hear someone's argument. I think me vs. Chito is the biggest fight as of now. As far as numbers, gate, that was the biggest bantamweight fight in history. I think me vs. Petr would beat that."

Yan has been sidelined since December following back surgery after his title win. The trilogy bout with Dvalishvili is expected to occur before year's end.