“He’s off to the PFL? The memes were right” – Fans react as Petr Yan mocks Sean O’Malley for alleged over-attachment with UFC

After Petr Yan publicly called out and ridiculed Sean O’Malley for his perceived excessive loyalty to the UFC, fans were quick to share their reactions. This backlash came shortly after Yan’s victory and rise to bantamweight champion.

Yan and O’Malley have been rivals since their first meeting at UFC 280, where ‘Sugar’ narrowly won by split decision. In a recent interview with Gorilla Fighting, the ex-bantamweight champion criticized the 29-year-old for his behavior at the UFC 299 press conference and suggested that he depends too heavily on the promotion for recognition. He stated:

“For Sean [O’Malley], the UFC is everything. It’s not everything to me. I don’t have the attitude that I overvalue it and I don’t see myself in other organizations. MMA is not everything to me.”

Yan’s claims sparked a reaction from MMA fans who expressed their thoughts on the matter. Some speculated that the former bantamweight champion may be on the verge of leaving the promotion, while others suggested that he is still harbouring feelings of disappointment over his defeat to O’Malley. Fans took to writing:

“He’s off to the PFL? The memes were right”

“Petr got robbed against Sean, never forget”

“Bad move to say anything remotely bad about UFC publicly. They take offense to anything. Sugar is smart and knows that very well and that’s one of the reasons why he is where he is. He’s always on their good side. Doesn’t help saying ‘UFC isn’t everything to me’”

It will be intriguing to observe whether O’Malley will address Yan, as his remarks have generated a significant amount of buzz on social media.

Petr Yan’s Upcoming Fight: An Insider’s Perspective

Petr Yan recently revealed his desire to face his next opponent and mentioned his interest in participating in rematches.

As the next bantamweight title fight is expected to feature Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili, it is possible that the previous titleholder may be considering a rematch against the fighter who falls short in the match. In a recent interview, Yan was questioned about his desired next opponent and he responded:

“It’s gonna be rematch season. I’m interested in Sean O’Malley, Merab Dvalishvili. I’m not interested in [fighting Aljamain] Sterling, he’s [fighting at] a different weight. I’m interested in Marlon Vera. Guys who are in the top-5.”