Sean O’Malley is turning up the heat on the UFC bantamweight title picture, voicing clear frustration over delays involving champion Petr Yan and top contender Merab Dvalishvili.
O’Malley, who recently won a fight at a UFC White House event that moved him closer to a bantamweight title shot, pointed to the seven months since Yan took the belt from Dvalishvili in December at UFC 323. “What the f--k, is Petr the champ, is he active, I don’t know,” O’Malley said.
“Merab was active AF, Petr’s been out for a while. They fought in December. It’s been January, February, March, April, May, June, July. It’s been seven months. That’s not terrible for a champion, but the division is on fire right now. We need our champion back and he’s not. He’s out there getting hair transplants and hanging out with ladyboys. It’s pissing me off!” O’Malley added.
Previous reports indicated Yan expected to return by late summer, but no bout has been announced, and there have been no public indications that Yan vs. Dvalishvili 3 will take place in August or at UFC 331 in September.
Yan, who took the title from Dvalishvili and has been out of action since, underwent a nine hour back surgery in January and a second surgery within five months. He recently posted an update on social media, stating, “Continue to recover after 2 surgeries in 5 months,” and, “We are working and not giving up!”
O’Malley, who holds a 2022 win over Yan, believes that victory positions him for a title shot after a planned Yan vs. Dvalishvili trilogy fight.
