Sean O’Malley Changes His Tune, Crowns Petr Yan as Bantamweight GOAT Over Merab Dvalishvili 

by Kshitiz Kumar Singh

The debate over the greatest UFC bantamweight of all time remains as contentious as ever. While many fans and fighters, including former champion Sean O’Malley, once viewed Merab Dvalishvili as the undisputed king of the 135-pound division following his historic title run, ‘Suga’ has now changed his stance. For those unfamiliar, O’Malley previously labeled Aljamain Sterling the greatest bantamweight in UFC history before later passing that distinction to his teammate, Dvalishvili. 

However, after recent developments in the division, the Montana native now believes current champion Petr Yan deserves the top spot among bantamweight greats. Speaking on the One Night With Steiny podcast, O’Malley explained, “I thought Aljo was the greatest of all time. I went out there and beat him. Merab goes on this crazy streak, I’m like, ‘God, Merab is the greatest of all time.’ Then Petr comes back, looks insane against Merab, I’m like, ‘Petr is the greatest bantamweight of all time.’ I do have a lot of respect for Petr.”

 

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Yan strengthened his case at UFC 323, where he reclaimed the bantamweight title by ending Dvalishvili’s reign with a dominant decision victory. The result marked a remarkable comeback for the Russian, who had previously suffered setbacks against several of the division’s elite. Notably, O’Malley himself owns a victory over Yan, having defeated him via split decision at UFC 280 in 2022.

Despite O’Malley’s latest assessment, Dvalishvili’s resume remains one of the strongest the division has ever seen. The Georgian made history by becoming the first bantamweight champion to successfully defend his title three times in a single year and only the eighth fighter in UFC history to accomplish that feat. After capturing the championship from O’Malley at UFC 306, Dvalishvili defended the belt against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311, O’Malley at UFC 316, and Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320. 

His performance against Sandhagen was particularly historic. Dvalishvili landed 20 takedowns in the bout, setting a new record for the most successful takedowns ever recorded in a UFC title fight. The total fell just one short of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s all-time UFC single-fight record of 21. The victory also extended Dvalishvili’s bantamweight winning streak to 14 fights, tying him for the fourth-longest winning streak in UFC history regardless of weight class, trailing only Anderson Silva (16), Islam Makhachev (15), and Kamaru Usman (15). That run has since ended at the hands of Yan in December of last year. 

Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311
January 18, 2025, Inglewood, California, USA: MERAB DVALISHVILI 19-4-0 of Tbilisi, Georgia defeats UMAR NURMAGOMEDOV 18-1-0 of Kizilyurt, Russia by unanimous decision 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 during UFC 311 at the Intuit Dome, Inglewood, California Inglewood USA – ZUMAo117 20250118_zsp_o117_054 Copyright: xMikaelxOnax

His dominance extends well beyond title defenses. Dvalishvili surpassed Georges St-Pierre’s long-standing UFC record of 90 career takedowns at UFC 311 and now sits at an astounding 117. His win at UFC 320 also made him just the third bantamweight champion to record three successful title defenses, joining divisional legends Aljamain Sterling and Dominick Cruz. What further strengthens Dvalishvili’s legacy is the level of opposition he has defeated. His victories over Umar Nurmagomedov, Sean O’Malley, Cory Sandhagen, Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan, and Jose Aldo represent one of the deepest collections of wins in bantamweight history.

In addition to his wrestling accolades, Dvalishvili has landed 2672 total strikes in UFC bantamweight competition, which is another divisional record. Combining relentless pressure, elite cardio, historic wrestling numbers, and a willingness to take on every top contender, ‘The Machine’ has built a legacy that continues to fuel the debate over who truly deserves the title of greatest bantamweight of all time. Despite Dvalishvili’s historic accomplishments, O’Malley now believes Yan sits atop the bantamweight mountain and has made it clear that a rematch with the Russian is one of the fights he wants most.

After rebounding from his title loss with victories over Song Yadong and, most recently, a knockout win over Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Freedom 250, O’Malley has repeatedly praised Yan’s skill set and standing within the sport. Speaking about the Russian, O’Malley said, “People in the community, people that know fighting know how skilled Petr Yan is. He’s as good as it gets at MMA. He’s up there with Ilia Topuria level skill, Jon Jones. He’s all-around great everywhere.”

 

At the same time, O’Malley recognizes that Dvalishvili has a strong claim to an immediate trilogy fight with Yan following their rivalry. Even so, he believes a rematch between himself and Yan would generate the most fan interest and deliver the biggest numbers for the UFC. With Yan back on the throne, Dvalishvili seeking redemption, and O’Malley re-establishing himself as a top contender, the bantamweight title picture remains one of the most intriguing storylines in the sport.