Sean O'Malley has a better option for Petr Yan's first title defense after back surgery.
UFC bantamweight champion Yan (20-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC) is expected to be out of action for the first half of 2026 after undergoing minor surgery for in his lower back.
The back issue is something Yan entered with in his title fight against Merab Dvalishvili, which he ended up winning by unanimous decision at UFC 323. Yan is expected to either face Dvalishvili again in a trilogy bout, or potentially draw O'Malley (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC), who returned to the win column with a decision over Song Yadong at UFC 324.
"Ideally, I want Petr Yan next," O'Malley said on his YouTube channel. "I hate the idea of him coming off back surgery and fighting Merab, especially if he tries to rush it. I f*cking rushed it with my hip and that's completely different than a back. I don't know how extensive his back surgery is. It sounds bad. Back surgery? Then you're going to fight Merab. You're going to fight Merab within a year after having back surgery? It sounds like a f*cking terrible mistake."
O'Malley just pitched to fight Yan himself, but the former champion was honest about the difference in Yan preparing for him vs. Dvalishvili.
"I'm not going to go out there and try to shoot and try to wrestle him," O'Malley said. "You know hard it is trying to go through fight camp trying to wrestle? Why would you fight Merab after back surgery when you can fight me? I suck at wrestling, I can't grapple, I'm 1-2 in my last three."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean O'Malley: Petr Yan shouldn't rush return vs. Merab Dvalishvili