The tides in the UFC bantamweight division shockingly turned as Petr Yan ended Merab Dvalishvili’s dominance last year, snapping his 14-fight winning streak. The Georgian fighter’s consistent performances over the last few years, and his activity as a champion was enough for the promotion to promise him an immediate title shot. However, following an unfortunate complication, Dvalishvili raised concerns on his return.

The complication surrounds ‘No Mercy’. The Russian fighter triumphed over Dvalishvili at UFC 323 in December 2025. But who knew Yan would undergo a serious medical procedure just weeks later? The reigning UFC bantamweight champion went through a major lumbar surgery, which would now require rest for a couple of months. Now, this is something that ‘The Machine’ didn’t see coming and has delayed his plans.

Dvalishvili talks about his “guaranteed” title fight

“Right after our fight, UFC called me,” said former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili on The Ariel Helwani Show. “And tell me in person, ‘Just take your time as much as you want, recover, and you are fighting for the belt for sure, and just let us know when you want to fight, like when you want to come back, and then we give you a fight…’

And when I came back from Spain and Georgia, and I was working hard training, but I saw the news that we all saw that Petr did his back surgery, and now I have no fights, and I don’t know. Now I know I’m not fighting in June. I was hoping in July, but who knows? Who knows when Peter is coming back, and who knows when UFC will book us our fight?”

Surely, the news of Petr Yan going through a back injury derailed Dvalishvili’s plans. But it may have delayed the plans of several other contenders and ex-champions in the UFC bantamweight division as well. Take Sean O’Malley, for example. ‘Suga’ was ready for scrap against Yan for the title following his victory over Song Yadong.

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Hence, there was a possibility that O’Malley could have leapfrogged Yan for the title. However, now that particular potential matchup also has to be pushed back following the surgery. But there is a workaround to keep the division moving.

While Yan rests, a potential trilogy bout between Dvalishvili and O’Malley for the interim UFC bantamweight title could also be an option. Or even better, throw Umar Nurmagomedov into the mix. The Russian is in dire need of a statement win after his maiden career loss to ‘The Machine’ last year, and the string of uninspiring wins that followed.

Umar vs. O’Malley could be a bantamweight version of Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov, without all the animosity and possibly the fanfare. But it would still sell tickets and boost the winner’s standings in the eyes of the fans and the matchmakers. The winner could easily be in line to face the winner of the Yan vs. Dvalishvili trilogy.

However, the decision ultimately lies in the hands of the UFC. That said, does O’Malley or Dvalishvili have the ability to overcome Yan in a rematch?

Ilia Topuria predicts a potential Petr Yan vs. Sean O’Malley rematch

Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley have already fought each other once in 2022. It was a high-stakes bout, which earned O’Malley the UFC bantamweight title shot following a split decision win.

While the bout was close and many had Yan winning, for ‘Suga’ it was a monumental victory. Now that O’Malley is back as a contender, Ilia Topuria shared his prediction for a rematch between ‘Suga’ and Yan.

“Stylistically, Sean [wins the rematch],” said Topuria during Adin Ross’ livestream. “If he goes in with the right mentality, and he does a proper training camp, and prepares himself properly, he takes it.”

Although Topuria asserted his confidence in O’Malley, it will be interesting to see how he actually performs. But Yan’s current form also cannot be overlooked. Time and again, he has proved his mettle in the division. To become a two-time UFC bantamweight champion, Yan defeated promising stars such as Deiveson Figueiredo, Marcus McGhee, and Song Yadong.

That said, as of now, there is no official confirmation whether ‘Suga’ or Merab Dvalishvili is next in line for the UFC bantamweight championship fight against Yan. On that note, who do you think, between O’Malley and Dvalishvili, can beat ‘No Mercy’? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!