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Sean O'Malley, Petr Yan

MMA superstar Sean O’Malley is claiming that UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan turned down a rematch against him.

O’Malley, who is one of the UFC’s biggest stars, returns to the Octagon in June when he battles Aiemann Zahabi on the South Lawn at the White House at the historic UFC Freedom 250 event. However, the former champ O’Malley is claiming that he was originally set to fight Yan in a rematch, but the current champ turned him down.

Sean O’Malley Claims Petr Yan Turned Down Rematch

O’Malley and Yan first met at UFC 280 in October 2022. In a controversial split decision victory, O’Malley had his hand raised in a fight that many felt Yan did enough to win. Four years later, and these two rivals still haven’t run it back, even though many fans feel that there is unfinished business between these two, given how the first fight played out and how the judges scored it.

Speaking to FOX 11 Los Angeles, O’Malley said that he was supposed to fight Yan for the title, but the champ didn’t want to fight him again, leading to this booking against Zahabi.

“I’m fighting Aiemann Zahabi. I was supposed to fight Petr Yan, the champ, the Russian. I beat him last time, so he didn’t want to fight this time. That would have been a big fight,” O’Malley said.

Yan had back surgery in January following his UFC 323 victory over Merab Dvalishvili, where he won back the UFC bantamweight title he once held. There is no definitive timeline for his return to the Octagon, though fans are hoping he can fight again this summer, as Yan is one of the most skilled and well-rounded fighters on the UFC roster. There have been suggestions that Yan could make his first title defense in a trilogy bout against Dvalishvili when he returns to action, but if you are to believe O’Malley, it’s he who will be next in line for the belt.

Sean O’Malley Heavily Favored Against Aiemann Zahabi

Instead of Yan, O’Malley will fight Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250 in what is likely a No. 1 contender bout between two of the top bantamweights in the sport. With O’Malley ranked at No. 2 in the weight class and Zahabi ranked at No. 6, this is an incredibly important match with very high stakes, as a title shot against Yan could very well be given to the winner of this bout.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, O’Malley is currently a -375 betting favorite, while Zahabi is a +295 underdog. Despite the lopsided odds, however, O’Malley is not taking his opponent lightly. Currently riding a seven-fight win streak, Zahabi is one of the hottest fighters in the division, so O’Malley knows this fight is going to be a lot more difficult than the odds indicate.

“I’m fighting a guy named Aiemann Zahabi. He’s on a seven-fight win streak. He’s from Canada, a Canadian fella, so it’s America vs. Canada-ish if you’re looking at it that way, which is kind of exciting. Very tough, very durable, very experienced, very tough fight, very exciting challenge. He’s going to be more of a kickboxer-style, so it’s going to be a very electric, exciting kickboxing fight with little gloves on,” O’Malley said.

UFC Freedom 250 takes place on Sunday, June 14, live on CBS and Paramount+. The event is headlined by UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria going against interim champion Justin Gaethje, and the co-main event features an interim heavyweight title bout between Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira.