Sean O’Malley was one of the biggest winners of the past.
Despite not competing at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, O’Malley was arguably the most interesting part of the bantamweight title co-main event. Two of his past rivals, Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili, battled for the division championship, with champion Yan tying the knot to emerge victorious from the trilogy match.
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When Yan got on the microphone for his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Daniel Cormier, the MMA world expected a mention of O’Malley, who is fighting back to back since he last won his championship and won over Yan. However, Cormier asked Yan about the rematch with Song Yadong, who was sitting on the guard.
O’Malley said on Tuesday’s edition of “The Ariel Helwani Show” that he was not bothered by the omission of his name. He soon sees gold in the company, with confidence challenged in his position as the next man to the belt he once held.
“I think it’s a missed opportunity,” O’Malley said of being crowned. “Yan could call me. Well, he said my name, even if you don’t want to fight, because it’s a fight that happens then.”
“I wasn’t too upset. I just thought it might be a cold moment. I wasn’t there, and that’s OK. I wasn’t flying to Abu Dhabi. I can’t believe Song did it. If it was in the United States, maybe I’d be there.”
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On Monday’s edition of “The Ariel Helwani Show,” O’Malley’s coach, Tim Welch, discussed the suggestion of Song Cormier, who is coming off an impressive finish against Umar Nurmagomedov in August, but also lost to O’Malley this past January. Welch asked if Cormier was biased against O’Malley since “Sugar” had entered the UFC.
O’Malley revealed Tuesday that he actually spoke with Cormier on Monday night after receiving a direct message from the UFC Hall of Famer. O’Malley said Cormier told him he believed O’Malley would be Yan’s next.
“I spoke with DC” last night, and I felt [that he doesn’t like me] first,” O’Malley said. I felt love [when I was] going up, he was a little tenacious, which kind of wanted to destroy me a little. But at the end of the day, it’s a hard job to comment. You sit there for eight hours, from the first fight of the night until the last fight. Then you still have to sit there and destroy what happened. It’s such a difficult job.
“You’re not always going to be right, and you’re going to be one way or the other, even if it’s a chance. But there was a time after the Terrion Ware or Thomas Almeida fights, I felt like it was like, “Oh, he’s doing it again!” Fights where it was like, “Why don’t people just kick Sean’s legs?” There were times where I felt that I was missing the kind of loss. But I don’t know if in my heart Daniel really wants to lose me. I felt like this one; not now. It was such a long time.
Sean O’Malley (L) previously defeated Petr Yan in October 2022.
(GIUSEPPE CACACE via Getty Images)
O’Malley was relatively understanding and admitted that he ultimately didn’t care what Cormier thought about the matter. He once had his eyes on the prize: the UFC bantamweight title.
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Watching Yan fight at UFC 333, O’Malley was as impressed as the rest of the world, if not more. In his estimation, the trilogy ended with Dvalishvili the best champion his division had ever seen. He needs all this motivation before his big title-fight rematch with Yan.
“It was two guys that pretty much everyone was kind of agreeing to fight for the greatest position of all time,” O’Malley said. “There’s always confusion with the latest studio, but I really think these two guys are going to fight for that title, and Peter Yan won it. We’re so super lucky to be able to watch those two guys fight for that title. Not just the bantamweight title, but the biggest title of all time.
“They are really, when it comes to pure art for art. Petr Yan is there. He is the guy. When it comes to the fight and mixes it up and finds ways to win, Merab is there as well. So both are there, he just kills with another art.
“It was an honor to watch the fight, and happy Peter won,” O’Malley continued.
He gives me — of course, for the next title fight — but one of those fights is like, ‘Holy ***, I’m going to fight that killer, that dude got rid of the killer,’ and it gets me excited.
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It was an imaginary board hanging over the mind of O’Malley who won the UFC 333 fight trilogy. If Dvalishvili was the man who lost twice, O’Malley is fully expected to sit back and watch Song Yan’s next challenge. Then he waited for Payton Talbott to step up.
Now, though, he’s pretty sure Yan will fight face to face next.
“I’m not worried. The UFC makes the biggest fights, and not only is this the biggest fight, it makes sense,” O’Malley said. “If it’s not me, then you could do the song, but then it’s like I don’t know.”
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After winning his decision with the song in January, O’Malley scored a big knockout on Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.
O’Malley, 32, admits he never asked about Dvalishvili jumping in line to face Yan at UFC 333, but that didn’t stop him from asking for a US vs. Russia clash at the White House from the bronze stage.
In hindsight, timing is also a big factor, as Yan underwent back surgery early in 2026. However, O’Malley Yan is afraid he doesn’t believe him, even after scoring a hard-fought split decision over Russia in their October 2023 meeting.
“I don’t think Peter is in any way afraid of ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley, but I look at the fight and go, ‘Okay,'” O’Malley said. “Remember. The last fight was close. It was a tough fight. He got a lot better, I got a better draw. I think I’m going to write a tough matchup for Peter Yan. Yes, I know, I know and I know. I don’t think I’m scared or duck. But I think I’m like, ‘A’ in the little Russian head.