Petr Yan claims he agreed to fight Sean O’Malley at UFC White House

Bantamweight champion Petr Yan alleged that he had agreed to defend his title against Sean O'Malley at UFC White House but that the promotion chose not to proceed with the matchup, instead offering O'Malley an easier opponent to guarantee a victory at the event.

O'Malley defeated Canadian Aiemann Zahabi via second-round knockout despite absorbing brutal inside leg kicks, then immediately called for a title shot against Yan. Yan responded by claiming the UFC deliberately avoided matching them, fearing O'Malley would lose at the White House. "The UFC were afraid for you!" Yan wrote on Instagram Stories. "They needed to be sure that you would win in the White House! I gave my consent! That's why they gave you someone you can at least handle!" O'Malley (20-3) previously defeated Yan (20-5) via controversial split decision in 2022, then captured the title by stopping Aljamain Sterling before losing it to Merab Dvalishvili. O'Malley has since rebounded with consecutive victories over Yadong Song and Zahabi. Yan currently rides a four-fight winning streak capped by a dominant title victory over Dvalishvili in December.