Sean O’Malley’s next fight: 5 best options after amazing Petr Yan win

After beating Petr Yin to secure a controversial win, let's see what are the potential Sean O'Malley's next fight in the bantamweight division.

Sean O’Malley’s next fight: 5 best options after amazing Petr Yan win

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One of the more contentious fight outcomes in recent bantamweight history occurred in the match between Sean O’Malley and Petr Yan. The verdict against Yan in the battle of the best in the division is viewed by some as injustice against the former champion.

The two fought one of the most entertaining fights of the division with the duo going all in on each other. Sean O’Malley is an elite-level striker and was matched by Petr Yan’s amazing grappling skills.

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Regardless of the controversial decision, there is no denying that Sean O’Malley is one of the best bantamweights in the UFC. The three rounds with Yan resulted in a controversial split-decision victory in favor of O’Malley.

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Both Petr Yin and Sean O’Malley are considered two of the elite fighters in the bantamweight division. Hence, the matchup was supposed to be a benchmark to decide who is the best bantamweight in the UFC. However, that now seems in doubt due to the dispute surrounding the outcome. O’Malley’s critics will be louder than ever however the show must go on. The decision of the judges was final, Sean O’Malley won the match.

Related: ‘My fist will do the talking’- Petr Yan sends a short message to Sean O Malley after the announcement of the bout

Sean O’Malley’s next fight might be the winner of UFC 288 main event

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 Sterling vs. Cejudo is set to take place in May of 2023, at the Prudential Centre in New Jersey. The Bantamweight Championship bout between current champion Aljamain Sterling and former UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight Champion Henry Cejudo is set to be the main card of the division. It is a highly anticipated matchup where Aljamain Sterling will be the title defender and potentially O’Malley’s next opponent.

Potential matchups for Sean O’Malley in the bantamweight division

#1 Aljamain Sterling

Aljamain Antoine Sterling is an American mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the UFC, where he is the current UFC Bantamweight Champion. Sterling is the first UFC champion to win a title by disqualification. He also competed for Cage Fury Fighting Championship, where he is the former Cage Fury Fighting Championship Bantamweight Champion. As of March 21, 2023, he is #7 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

#2 Henry Cejudo

Henry Cejudo is a professional MMA fighter and freestyle wrestler from the United States. He has previously held the UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight titles. This guy is also the fourth UFC fighter to hold titles in two different weight classes simultaneously, and the second to defend titles in two different weight divisions. He is the only person to win an Olympic gold medal and a UFC title. Due to his accomplishments and accolades in MMA and freestyle wrestling, Henry Cejudo is regarded as one of the greatest combat athletes of all time.

#3 Dominick Cruz

Dominick, also known as “The Dominator,” Cruz is a professional MMA fighter, sports analyst, and commentator from the United States. He currently competes in the UFC’s Bantamweight division, where he is a two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. Cruz has also competed in World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), where he held the title of WEC Bantamweight Champion. He is ranked #7 in the UFC bantamweight rankings as of December 6, 2022.

#4 Ricky Simón

Ricky Simón is an American mixed martial artist. He was the former Legacy Fighting Alliance Bantamweight Champion and currently competing in the Bantamweight division in the UFC. As of March 21, 2023, he is #10 in the UFC bantamweight rankings.

#5 Merab Dvalishvili

Merab Dvalishvili is a Georgian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the UFC. As of March 13, 2023, he is #1 in the UFC bantamweight rankings, and has been an unstoppable force in the division of late. Had it not been for his close friend Aljamain Sterling, Dvalishvili would have already been challenging for the title.

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