Sean O’Malley reacted to Petr Yan‘s unexpected victory over Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323, making Yan a two-time bantamweight champion, while reflecting on his own past fights and upcoming match against Song Yadong at UFC 324.
Sean O’Malley, having faced both Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili in the octagon, was keenly interested in their UFC 323 main event rematch. His curiosity wasn’t unfounded.
O’Malley, like many, was astounded by Yan’s performance. Yan pulled off a stunning upset, becoming a two-time bantamweight champion by defeating Dvalishvili. A unanimous decision victory, marking his fourth consecutive win, etched Yan’s name in UFC history as one of only three fighters to reclaim the 135-pound title multiple times.
O’Malley shared his reactions on Twitter, not just about this fight but also chiming in on the Payton Talbott vs. Henry Cejudo bout. His excitement was palpable.
“What a performance from Petr, everyone counted him out,” O’Malley remarked, adding a touch of humor, “God, Merab getting slammed on his head might be my new screensaver.” And then, simply, “Holy shit, Petr Yan got the job done.”
Reflecting on his own journey, O’Malley had defeated Yan via split decision at UFC 280 in October 2022. This victory paved the way for his bantamweight title shot, which he seized by knocking out Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August 2023.
After successfully defending the title against Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in March 2024, O’Malley lost the belt to Dvalishvili at UFC 306 six months later. He got an immediate rematch at UFC 316 in June, but was submitted.
Now, O’Malley is gearing up for a crucial bout against Song Yadong at UFC 324 in January. A pivotal moment in his career, no doubt.