Overview
- O'Malley spoke Tuesday on the Pound 4 Pound podcast and demanded an immediate rematch with champion Petr Yan, saying the fight would be the biggest in bantamweight history.
- The expected Yan–Merab Dvalishvili trilogy is still not officially booked and UFC matchmakers are reported to favor giving Dvalishvili the next title shot.
- O'Malley has rebuilt title contention with recent wins over Song Yadong and a knockout of Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250, which he cites as justification for a shot at the belt.
- Several reports and O'Malley's comments point to Yan's reported injury issues, including a back problem and past surgery, as the main factor delaying the title fight schedule.
- The matchup debate is rooted in recent history: O'Malley earned a controversial split decision over Yan in 2022 while he has lost twice to Dvalishvili, a dynamic that shapes merit and business arguments about who should get the next title chance.