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Sean O’Malley Urges Petr Yan to Avoid Merab Rematch After Back Surgery, Pitches Himself Instead

The champion is recovering from lumbar surgery that required nine hours of anesthesia with a summer return targeted.

Overview

  • O’Malley said a quick turnaround into Merab Dvalishvili’s wrestling-heavy style would be a “terrible mistake” for Yan’s first fight back.
  • O’Malley argued he is a safer matchup for Yan because he will not pursue a wrestling-heavy game plan.
  • Yan’s next defense has not been scheduled as the UFC weighs a widely expected trilogy with Dvalishvili against other options.
  • O’Malley returned to contention with a narrow decision over Song Yadong at UFC 324 and called for a Yan rematch on the June White House card, which is not confirmed.
  • Umar Nurmagomedov’s camp reported interest in facing O’Malley in a potential contender bout, though no date or contract has been finalized.