Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley got a much-needed victory against Song Yadong in the co-main event of UFC 324, last Saturday. “Suga” came out strong in the third and final round, as he sealed a unanimous decision win over a tough competitor in Yadong. O’Malley snapped a two-fight losing skid and picked up his first win in nearly two years.
It came as no surprise that the native of Helena, Montana, called for his shot against the current 135-pound kingpin, Petr Yan. The two are already familiar with each other inside the Octagon after the American won their 2022 clash.
Could they cross paths for a second time? We consider that and three other possible opponent options for Sean O’Malley’s next UFC fight.
Aiemann Zahabi
The native of Laval, Quebec, Canada, is currently on a seven-fight winning streak, which dates back to 2021. Aiemann Zahabi is coming off an impressive split decision win against Marlon Vera last October. Zahabi demonstrated his resilience as he overcame a knockdown in the second round. Despite hitting the canvas, Zahabi outlanded Vera in total strikes, 81-56.
Although Zahabi is currently recovering from a broken arm, he is aiming for a return this spring. While O’Malley looks to remain in the win column and get back into title contention, Zahabi would be an interesting matchup to prove his case.
Cory Sandhagen
“The Sandman” has lost two of his last three fights. Most recently against former UFC bantamweight titleholder Merab Dvalishvili, at UFC 320, last October. Cory Sandhagen took a unanimous decision loss in a thoroughly one-sided contest. Dvalishvili scored a whopping 20 takedowns, along with 243 total strikes.
However, despite the rough stretch, Sandhagen remains one of the top competitors at 135 pounds. He sits at No. 5 in our bantamweight rankings.
Umar Nurmagomedov
Since his UFC debut in 2021, Umar Nurmagomedov has compiled an 8-1 record. In the sole loss of his career, Nurmagomedov took a unanimous decision loss against Dvalishvili at UFC 311 in January 2025. The native of Dagestan, Russia, has bounced back with two consecutive wins since then. Last Saturday, on the preliminary card of UFC 324, Nurmagomedov defeated former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo by unanimous decision.
The cousin and prodigy of Khabib Nurmagomedov is right behind O’Malley, at No. 4, in our rankings. As both he and O’Malley are after the 135-pound championship title, it seems certain they could meet at some point.
Petr Yan
O’Malley and Yan first met at UFC 280 in October 2022. In a highly competitive and close contest, Yan had the upper hand on the ground. He scored six takedowns, along with 5:44 of control time. However, O’Malley was awarded a controversial split decision win.
Yan is currently on a run of four consecutive victories. After a unanimous decision loss against Dvalishvili in March 2023, they met for a rematch at UFC 323 last December. Yan avenged the loss as he defeated Dvalishvili by unanimous decision and became a two-time UFC bantamweight champion. A trilogy fight is rumored to take place this summer, so O’Malley may not get a crack against the new champion just yet.
