No Yan fight is booked: O'Malley says he's next and Cormier admits forgetting he beat Song, while the UFC weighs O'Malley and Song; Joshua Van is open to Yan.
From 30 reports by 17 outletsLatest Flyweight champion Joshua Van says he is open to fighting Yan 3 updates 17 outlets
What we know
- No title defense is booked for Yan; the UFC has not announced his next opponent.
- Cormier said on his YouTube channel that he forgot O'Malley beat Song, and that the production truck told him in his earpiece Song would be shown.
Reported, not confirmed
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Dana White said the UFC is weighing two contenders for Yan, O'Malley and Song Yadong.
MMAmag.cz
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O'Malley says Cormier messaged him that he should fight for the title, and that the two later spoke cordially.
Combat Sports UK
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O'Malley says a fight with Payton Talbott is inevitable; it was his plan had Dvalishvili won, and nothing is booked.
BJPenn.com
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Flyweight champion Joshua Van says he is open to fighting Yan if the timing is right, but wants to make history at flyweight first.
La Sueur
Sean O'Malley has stopped asking for a title shot and started announcing one. After Petr Yan beat Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333, Daniel Cormier named Song Yadong in the cage as a possible next challenger. O'Malley's answer was blunt: "Me versus Petr is happening next. It just is."
The UFC has not committed. According to MMAmag.cz, Dana White said the UFC is weighing two names, O'Malley and Song. Yan, 33, just moved into the UFC pound-for-pound top three in our rankings story, so whoever gets the call is facing a champion at a peak.
O'Malley's case rests on results. He beat Yan by split decision in 2022, a result many pundits thought was wrong, and he beat Song by unanimous decision at UFC 324 in January. Yan also beat Song, at UFC 299, so the champion and the challenger share a common opponent. Song's counter is momentum, as he is coming off a knockout of Umar Nurmagomedov.
O'Malley also argues the fight would be different for Yan. Yan's recent opponents, including Song and Dvalishvili, are around his size, he says, while he is much bigger. He put his height at 190 cm; our records list him at 1.80 m. He added that he does not think Yan is scared or ducking him.
The Cormier row has cooled. O'Malley's coach accused Cormier of bias, and O'Malley then told The Ariel Helwani Show that Cormier messaged him to say he should fight for the title. On his own YouTube channel, Cormier said he forgot O'Malley had beaten Song, and that the truck in his earpiece told him Song would be shown. O'Malley admitted he once felt Cormier wanted to see him lose, but says he no longer does.
If Song gets the call, O'Malley has a fallback. He said a fight with Payton Talbott was the plan had Dvalishvili won, and that he feels it is inevitable. Nothing is booked there either. Next to watch: whether the UFC picks O'Malley or Song for Yan, and how soon it announces it.
The UFC has not committed. According to MMAmag.cz, Dana White said the UFC is weighing two names, O'Malley and Song. Yan, 33, just moved into the UFC pound-for-pound top three in our rankings story, so whoever gets the call is facing a champion at a peak.
O'Malley's case rests on results. He beat Yan by split decision in 2022, a result many pundits thought was wrong, and he beat Song by unanimous decision at UFC 324 in January. Yan also beat Song, at UFC 299, so the champion and the challenger share a common opponent. Song's counter is momentum, as he is coming off a knockout of Umar Nurmagomedov.
O'Malley also argues the fight would be different for Yan. Yan's recent opponents, including Song and Dvalishvili, are around his size, he says, while he is much bigger. He put his height at 190 cm; our records list him at 1.80 m. He added that he does not think Yan is scared or ducking him.
The Cormier row has cooled. O'Malley's coach accused Cormier of bias, and O'Malley then told The Ariel Helwani Show that Cormier messaged him to say he should fight for the title. On his own YouTube channel, Cormier said he forgot O'Malley had beaten Song, and that the truck in his earpiece told him Song would be shown. O'Malley admitted he once felt Cormier wanted to see him lose, but says he no longer does.
If Song gets the call, O'Malley has a fallback. He said a fight with Payton Talbott was the plan had Dvalishvili won, and that he feels it is inevitable. Nothing is booked there either. Next to watch: whether the UFC picks O'Malley or Song for Yan, and how soon it announces it.
- Summary
- No Yan fight is booked: O'Malley says he's next and Cormier admits forgetting he beat Song, while the UFC weighs O'Malley and Song; Joshua Van is open to Yan.
- Key points (one per line)
- No title fight is booked for Petr Yan; the UFC is weighing Sean O'Malley and Song Yadong, according to MMAmag.cz.
Daniel Cormier said he forgot O'Malley beat Song when he pointed Song out after UFC 333; the production truck told him Song would be shown.
O'Malley beat Yan in 2022 and Song in January; Yan also beat Song.
Flyweight champion Joshua Van says he is open to facing Yan, but it is not on the table.
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- MMA Mania | https://www.mmamania.com/ufc-news/482165/sean-omalley-says-dont-come-to-ufc-to-get-rich-its-not-gonna-happen
Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/sean-omalley-kills-the-ufc-payday-dream-in-the-middle-of-stricklands-pay-dispute
MMAmag.cz | https://www.mmamag.cz/omalley-tlaci-na-odvetu-s-yanem-a-ma-silny-argument/
Combat Sports UK | https://combatsportsuk.com/news/69367f9d-f875-492b-8ecc-8a9178892df2/sean-omalley-daniel-cormier-instagram-message-fight-for-title
Bloody Elbow | https://bloodyelbow.com/2026/10/27/sean-omalley-details-post-ufc-333-daniel-cormier-exchange-having-felt-like-legend-wanted-him-to-lose/
Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/sean-omalley-says-hes-next-for-petr-yan-and-the-math-is-hard-to-argue-with
MMA Fanatik Slovakia | https://sport.aktuality.sk/mma-fanatik/sean-omalley-posiela-odkaz-bojovnikom-ak-chcete-zarobit-do-ufc-ani-nechodte/
MMA Fanatik Slovakia | https://www.mmafanatik.eu/sean-omalley-posiela-odkaz-bojovnikom-ak-chcete-zarobit-do-ufc-ani-nechodte/
Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/daniel-cormier-slid-into-sean-omalleys-dms-after-the-ufc-333-title-snub
BJPenn.com | https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/sean-omalley/sean-omalley-payton-talbott-inevitable-ufc-333/
BJPenn.com | https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/sean-omalley/sean-omalley-coach-push-daniel-cormier-song-yadong-title-shot/
Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/sean-omalley-calls-payton-talbott-fight-inevitable-and-hints-it-could-be-next
Heavy on UFC | https://heavy.com/sports/ufc/daniel-cormier-sean-omalley-ufc-333/
Bloody Elbow | https://bloodyelbow.com/2026/10/27/sean-omalley-explains-key-reason-he-is-such-a-tough-fight-for-petr-yan-amid-push-for-title-rematch/
Kimura | https://www.kimura.se/daniel-cormier-angrar-miss-sean-omalley/
Fight Site Croatia | https://www.jutarnji.hr/sportske/fightsite/ufc/dok-sam-se-probijao-prema-vrhu-osjecala-se-ta-pristranost-nekako-je-htio-vidjeti-kako-gubim-15760018
Blood & Sweat | https://www.bloodandsweat.ru/2026/10/shon-omelli-nash-boj-s-telbottom-neizbezhen/
X: @arielhelwani | https://x.com/arielhelwani/status/2115163887289176219
X: @arielhelwani | https://x.com/arielhelwani/status/2115165341471088880
Blood & Sweat | https://www.bloodandsweat.ru/2026/10/deniel-korme-obyasnil-omelli-pochemu-ne-upomyanul-ego-v-intervyu-s-yanom/
MMA Weekly | https://www.mmaweekly.com/news/sean-omalley-me-versus-petr-yan-is-happening-next
Fight Site Croatia | https://www.jutarnji.hr/sportske/fightsite/ufc/nije-stvar-u-tome-da-izbjegava-borbu-ili-da-se-boji-za-njega-sam-stilski-iznimno-tezak-protivnik-15760060
FightTime.ru | https://fighttime.ru/news/item/44539-shon-o-melli-nazval-klyuchevoj-faktor-pobedy-v-revanshe-s-petrom-yanom.html
MMA Fighting | https://www.mmafighting.com/ufc/518097/sean-omalley-theres-no-debate-or-an-argument-rematch-against-petr-yan-is-happening-next
Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/daniel-cormier-admits-who-really-put-song-yadongs-name-in-his-mouth-at-ufc-333
Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/sean-omalley-calls-payton-talbott-fight-inevitable-while-chasing-petr-yan
Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/dana-white-has-two-names-for-petr-yans-next-title-defense-and-calls-it-a-good-problem
Knockout Daily | https://knockoutdaily.com/news/sean-omalley-backs-song-yadong-to-beat-merab-while-claiming-petr-yan-for-himself
Lowking | https://www.lowking.pl/mysli-teraz-noz-ka-yan-swiadom-co-go-czeka-w-rewanzu-z-omalleyem-amerykanin-zdradzil-z-kim-walczylby-gdyby-dvalishvili-wygral-na-ufc-333/
La Sueur | https://lasueur.com/un-champion-de-lufc-accepte-le-defi-petr-yan-30-10-2026
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What they're saying
FightLuck@FightluckBet
🚨JUST IN: Daniel Cormier CLEARS THE AIR with Tim Welch over pushing Song Yadong’s name over Sean O’Malley at UFC 333 😳🥶
🗣️ “Sean O'Malley is kind of the best because Sean O'Malley gets it... The truck said to me, 'We're going to show Song,' so I said it. But at the end of the day, either one of those guys fighting Petr Yan for the title is justified.”
🎙️ Via TimwelchMT
Oct 28 · View on X
ape@qpe
@HerronNoon Yan has to beat O’Malley or he can’t be BW goat. One title defense and being 0-2 to Aljo and 0-1 to O’Malley doesn’t cut it
Oct 28 · View on X
KLB for the Loss!@SociallyGreg
@MMAJOEYC O’Malley already beat Yan & Song.
I’m all for the rematch.
Oct 28 · View on X
Nick 🏴☠️@NickChees
@FightluckBet this is one situation where I’m glad O’Malley has Dana White privilege and got this resolved. This is definitely the fight we wanna see. Talbott never made sense to begin with and O’Malley just beat Song.
Oct 27 · View on X
FightLuck@FightluckBet
🚨‼️ Daniel Cormier clears up the confusion with Sean O’Malley after mistakenly mentioning Song Yadong in the cage 😳
DC: “I'mma be completely honest with you... the trucks in my ear were going, 'We're going to show Song.' I actually forgot that you just beat Song Yadong... me, Joe, and Jon believe O'Malley should fight for the belt right now.”
Oct 27 · View on X
Red Corner MMA@RedCorner_MMA
Daniel Cormier and Sean O'Malley clear the air on DC mentioning Song Yadong's name in the cage instead of Sean's
DC: "I'mma be completely honest with you... the trucks in my ear were going, 'We're going to show Song.' I actually forgot that you just beat Song Yadong... me, Joe, and Jon believe O'Malley should fight for the belt right now."
Via: @dc_mma
Oct 27 · View on X
Ariel Helwani@arielhelwaniNews
Sean O'Malley believes his size and style present a much different challenge for Petr Yan:
“I do think in his little Russian head that he's like, ‘F***, it's a different fight.’ I'm not 5'5". I'm not like Song or Merab... I'm 6'3". I'm a big guy.
I don't think Petr Yan's scared of Suga Sean O'Malley by any means, but I do think he looks at that fight and remembers the last fight. It was a close fight, it was a tough fight.
He's gotten a lot better. I've gotten a lot better.
I think I'm a tough stylistic matchup for Petr Yan, so I do think he knows that. He recognizes that. I don't think he's scared. I don't think he'll duck me. I don't think any of that."
Oct 27 · View on X
Ariel Helwani@arielhelwaniNews
Sean O'Malley feels a showdown with Payton Talbott is only a matter of time:
“That fight was almost a reality. If Merab won, that was kind of what made the most sense.
I remember watching him and being like, this motherf***er is good. He's very, very skilled. I've watched every fight. I enjoy watching him.
I definitely feel like it's inevitable that we'll fight.
People are saying he fought two guys that moved up from 125 to 135, and they're both over 35, which is true. But you can't take away that they're both former world champions, very, very skilled guys."
Oct 27 · View on X
Fighters in this story
Petr Yan
Sean O'Malley
Daniel Cormier
Joshua Van
Dominick Reyes
Sean Strickland
Merab Dvalishvili
Song Yadong
Azamat Murzakanov
Tommy McMillenMore photos
How the story developed
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Flyweight champion Joshua Van says he is open to fighting YanLa Sueur
-
Cormier admits he forgot O'Malley beat Song
Heavy on UFC
-
White says UFC weighing O'Malley and Song for Yan; O'Malley says he's nextMMAmag.cz
Sources
Knockout Daily
Bloody Elbow
MMA Fanatik Slovakia
Fight Site Croatia
Blood & Sweat
MMA Mania
Kimura
FightTime.ru
MMA Fighting
LowkingSummarized with AI from the sources above. Read the originals for the full story.
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