Sean O’Malley may have made the biggest mistake of his career by calling out Petr Yan. ‘Suga’ Sean, of course, defeated Aiemann Zahabi via second-round knockout at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday at the White House. And immediately after the bout, he called out Yan, claiming he was supposed to be the one fighting him at the event. Unfortunately for him, ‘No Mercy’ has now responded. 

“The UFC [was] afraid for you,” Yan responded. “They needed to be sure that you would win in the White House. I gave my consent. That’s why they gave you someone you can at least handle.”

Petr Yan’s accusation toward the UFC isn’t something new. O’Malley has often been branded the poster child for the ‘Dana White’ privilege. Just look at O’Malley’s immediate rematch with Merab Dvalishvili. He lost the belt to the Georgian bantamweight at UFC 306 in September 2024 after defending it just once, and that too after getting dominated by Dvalishvili. 

Still, the UFC decided to give him an immediate rematch when other more deserving contenders were available. When the rematch happened in June 2025 at UFC 316, Merab proved that there was no need for a rematch by defeating O’Malley even more dominantly. This favoritism centers firmly around the colorful-haired bantamweight’s popularity. 

Whereas most fighters in the promotion earn their opportunities through merit. What’s more, it’s not just Yan who has accused the UFC of favoritism or of protecting O’Malley. Aljamain Sterling, Henry Cejudo, and Cory Sandhagen have all made similar remarks in the past. Still, it’s not like Sean O’Malley hasn’t defeated Petr Yan in the past. 

The pair collided back in October 2022 at UFC 280. After a back-and-forth battle, ‘Suga’ pulled off a razor-thin win via split decision. Many had even felt that Yan was robbed that night. So, a fight between them might be on the cards. But if that happens next, it will only expose UFC’s favoritism toward Sean O’Malley. 

Yan defeated Merab Dvalishvili in December last year to become the new bantamweight champion. Although Yan’s win was dominant and there are no questions about his win, Merab had defended the title three times before his loss. Not to mention, before the loss, he never came close to losing the bouts. Add to that, Merab had already defeated Yan once. 

So, a rematch between them makes more sense before the UFC matches Sean O’Malley with Petr Yan. In the meantime, though, the 31-year-old has refuted claims that the UFC gives him whatever he wants.  

Sean O’Malley proves Petr Yan is telling the truth

Before Sunday’s fight, O’Malley sat down for an interview with MMA Fighting, where he unknowingly confirmed what Petr Yan said was absolutely true. 

“At first, I asked for Petr [Yan],” O’Malley said. “They said no. They didn’t [give] any reason. They didn’t say anything. They just said he’s not available. Then they offered me Aiemann, and I said yeah.”

This proves that the UFC didn’t want O’Malley to fight Yan even though the bantamweight champion was open to the showdown. Whether to protect O’Malley or to maintain fairness for Merab, the promotion denied O’Malley a title shot against Petr Yan. 

It’s yet to be seen what the UFC ends up deciding. While Merab Dvalishvili appears to be more deserving, O’Malley could also get the bout. 

It’s hard to argue against Petr Yan’s accusation because of O’Malley and the UFC’s history. But now, it would be interesting to see what the future holds for the trio involved.