UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan was called the greatest fighter of all time at 135 lbs by longtime rival Sean O’Malley.

Yan and O’Malley have a deep-seated rivalry that dates back to their fight at UFC 280 in October 2022, which O’Malley won via controversial split decision.

Though the two don’t see eye-to-eye, and though they have both talked about rematching each other over the years, there is a respect here between the two combatants for what they can do inside the Octagon.

Sean O’Malley Praises Petr Yan

Speaking to the “One Night with Steiny” podcast, O’Malley was asked who he considers the best fighter ever at 135 lbs. While he said he previously thought it was either Aljamain Sterling or Merab Dvalishvili, he is now convinced that it’s Yan.

“I thought Aljo was the greatest of all time. I went out there and beat him. Merab goes on this crazy streak, I’m like, ‘God, Merab is the greatest of all time.’ Then Petr comes back, looks insane against Merab, I’m like, ‘Petr is the greatest bantamweight of all time.’ I do have a lot of respect for Petr,” O’Malley said (via MMAjunkie.com).

“People in the community, people that know fighting know how skilled Petr Yan is. He’s as good as it gets at MMA. He’s up there with Ilia Topuria level skill, Jon Jones. He’s all-around great everywhere.”

Could Sean O’Malley Rematch Petr Yan?

A fight that MMA fans have always wondered about is a rematch between O’Malley and Yan.

Coming off a TKO win over Aiemann Zahabi at the UFC White House card, O’Malley may have punched his ticket to getting a title shot at 135 lbs. However, Yan has been linked to a trilogy bout against Dvalishvili first, so O’Malley may have to wait a little while longer before he gets the chance to fight for the belt.

However, he likely will get the chance to fight for the belt at some point after beating Zahabi and Song Yadong in his last two outings. Those two wins are likely good enough for him to get a title shot, so let’s see if the UFC does give it to O’Malley or if they ask him to fight one more time against someone else, such as Umar Nurmagomedov.

Yan has not competed since last December at UFC 323 when he upset Dvalishvili to claim the UFC bantamweight title, as he had back surgery following that bout. The hope is that he will be able to return to the Octagon by the end of this year, at which time he can fight Dvalishvili for the third time and get the division moving along again.

Remember, the Yan vs. O’Malley fight four years ago was extremely close, with many fans and media scoring the bout for Yan, so there is unfinished business there, as many still to this day believe that O’Malley got a lucky call from the judges. Hopefully, we will see these two fight again as they are two of the best in the world at 135 lbs, and a rematch needs to happen.