Petr Yan has a title defense in three days, and he still found time to roast the UFC’s favorite pink-haired investment.
Asked about the bantamweight pecking order, Yan said Song Yadong is “more deserving” of a title shot than Sean O’Malley, according to a clip MMA Fighting posted on X. Then he went full farmyard.
“They gave [O’Malley] two free fights against the champ. They raised this chicken to lay eggs for so long, and now they’re trying to squeeze as many eggs out as possible,” Yan said.
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That’s a fighter calling O’Malley a promotional golden goose (well, golden chicken) to his face. Yan’s implication is that the UFC has handed O’Malley championship opportunities he didn’t fully earn. That’s Yan’s opinion, and it’s unproven. He didn’t lay out specifics beyond the “two free fights” line.
Why Yan’s vote carries weight
Yan (20-5) is the current and two-time UFC bantamweight champion and a former interim champ. As of Sept. 22 he sat at No. 4 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings. He defends the belt against Merab Dvalishvili this Saturday, Oct. 24, at UFC 333, with Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev in the main event.
He also has firsthand knowledge of the guy he’s endorsing. Yan beat Song by unanimous decision at UFC 299 on March 9, 2024. Their first booking, set for UFC Fight Night 233 in December 2023, fell through when Yan withdrew with an injury. Song beat replacement Chris Gutiérrez that night instead.
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So Yan is campaigning for a man he already beat. That’s either sportsmanship or a champion picking the challenger he thinks he’s solved. I’m leaning toward a bit of both.
Song, 28, was No. 2 in the UFC bantamweight rankings as of Sept. 5. He’s been in the UFC since 2017, when he debuted with a first-round guillotine of Bharat Kandare in Shanghai, and he’s collected multiple Performance of the Night bonuses along the way, including a first-round knockout of Marlon Moraes in 2022.
The corner gets a new face
Away from the O’Malley jabs, Yan confirmed his son will be in his corner Saturday, per a UFC clip shared on X. “He wanted to do it. Who am I to say no?” Yan said.
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The title shot debate is a problem for Sunday. First, Yan has to get past Dvalishvili on Oct. 24, and if he does, he’s made it pretty clear whose phone he’d like the UFC to call.
