Sean O’Malley: Yadong Song is a ‘problem’ for Merab Dvalishvili

Sean O'Malley believes Yadong Song's stunning knockout victory over Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC Shanghai has earned the Chinese bantamweight a title shot—and that Song poses a significant matchmaking problem for former champion Merab Dvalishvili. O'Malley called for Song to challenge Dvalishvili if the Georgian defeats current titleholder Petr Yan in their trilogy bout at UFC 333 on October 24 in Abu Dhabi. "I want to see Song vs. Merab," O'Malley wrote on Instagram. "I've been saying for a couple of years now, before I even fought Merab—Song is a problem for Merab. If Merab wins the title, Song vs. Merab." O'Malley (20–3) defeated Song via unanimous decision in January but respects the fighter's credentials. Since that loss, Song (24–9–1) has rebounded impressively with wins over Deiveson Figueiredo and Nurmagomedov. Meanwhile, O'Malley is campaigning for his own title shot, having stopped Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250 in June. O'Malley previously defeated Yan, making him a contender if the Russian retains his belt. The convergence of these storylines suggests Song's upset has shifted the bantamweight landscape significantly.