Sean O'Malley Calls Out Petr Yan for Title Shot Ahead of UFC 333 Trilogy

Sean O'Malley has thrown down the gauntlet to UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan, warning him that a victory this weekend will mean a rematch with the former titleholder. O'Malley's public callout comes as he waits for his next shot at the belt, while also responding to a rising contender's viral challenge.

Sean O'Malley warns Petr Yan ahead of UFC 333

In a recent Instagram post, O'Malley delivered a cold message to Yan, who defends his title against Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy fight at UFC 333 this weekend in Abu Dhabi. "PETR YAN! You better hope you don't win this weekend buddy, because if you do, you gotta fight me," O'Malley said. He added, "You don't want that." This sets up a potential second fight between the two, following O'Malley's split decision win over Yan at UFC 280 in October 2022. O'Malley then won the title by knocking out Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292, but lost it in two subsequent fights with Dvalishvili.

O'Malley responds to Payton Talbott's viral callout

O'Malley also addressed a fresh challenge from surging contender Payton Talbott. After Talbott scored a brutal first-round TKO win over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 332 last weekend, he called out O'Malley in his post-fight interview. On his podcast, The Suguru Show, O'Malley responded to the callout and dismissed Talbott's claim that he had been offered a fight with O'Malley at the White House event earlier this year. "I think he made it up. I don't think he ever got offered me," O'Malley said. He laid out his conditions, stating that a fight with Talbott is possible if Yan loses at UFC 333. "If Petr goes out there and loses, let's squabble, me and Payton. If Petr wins, I'm ducking him for a tougher fight. Ducking him for Petr Yan."

O'Malley defends his record against ducking allegations

Pushing back against any notion that he is avoiding tough fights, O'Malley pointed to his recent resume. "Four of my last seven fights, I fought four of the greatest bantamweights of all time. Petr, Aljamain, Merab, and I beat Merab once," he said. "I ain't ducking!" His most recent fight was a knockout victory over Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250, which was held at the White House earlier this year. That win positioned him as a top contender waiting in the wings.

Another UFC fighter fails drug test for Ostarine

In a separate development, another UFC contender has reportedly failed a drug test for the same substance, Ostarine, that was involved in one of O'Malley's past cases. O'Malley himself served a six-month suspension in 2019 after testing positive for Ostarine, which he attributed to a tainted supplement. The recent case highlights the ongoing issue of contaminated products in the sport, though it does not directly involve O'Malley's current status.

Khamzat Chimaev's offer to Sean Strickland

A story involving a different Sean, middleweight champion Sean Strickland, has no direct bearing on O'Malley's situation. Khamzat Chimaev recently set a condition on his $1 million offer to fight Strickland, stating he would only pay if the rematch was signed immediately. This story is unrelated to the bantamweight division and O'Malley's immediate future.

• O'Malley has directly challenged champion Petr Yan ahead of Yan's UFC 333 title defense this weekend.
• He dismissed Payton Talbott's callout as based on a fabricated offer, but left the door open if Yan loses.
• O'Malley's last fight was a knockout win over Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House.
• He defended his record, noting he has fought four elite bantamweights in his last seven bouts.