Newly crowned bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili silenced his critics, especially Tim Welch, with his wrestling prowess last week when he stopped Welch’s fighter, Sean O’Malley, and ended Suga’s three-fight winning streak at the historic UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche. Since then, the demand for a rematch from Team O’Malley has been rising, with O’Malley claiming he won three out of the five rounds in their fights and thus deserves a rematch.

While UFC head honcho Dana White has yet to respond, former UFC champion Chael Sonnen recently backed Suga’s demands with valid points.

Chael Sonnen on the Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili rematch

The beginning of 2024 went well for former champion Sean O’Malley when he successfully defended his title against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera at UFC 299. However, no one expected that Suga would fall short in the second half of the year. Recently, Chael Sonnen spoke about this situation on his YouTube channel, addressing why Dana White and the company need to arrange a rematch between O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. He stated, “The very first option is that the champion who loses the belt gets a rematch for his title. It’s a respect shown to every great champion, and by great champion, I’m talking about champions who can also move the needle.”

Sonnen further brought up Israel Adesanya as an example, claiming, “More recently, Israel Adesanya went right into it. I’m sharing with you all the greats, except Sean (O’Malley).” Chael Sonnen isn’t wrong, back in 2022, Alex Pereira knocked out Adesanya at UFC 281. However, the UFC provided Adesanya a chance to reclaim his title, which he successfully did against Pereira at UFC 287, leading Pereira to move up the heavyweight class.

While everyone is currently focusing on Sean O’Malley’s demand for a rematch against ‘The Machine,’ another bantamweight contender, Petr Yan, seems to have been overlooked. Yan has remained vocal about wanting a rematch with ‘Suga’ to settle the unfinished business from their chaotic first encounter, a point he recently raised publicly once again.

Petr Yan challenges Sean O’Malley for a title shot

When Dana White announced Sean O’Malley’s first title shot against then-champion Aljamain Sterling back in the summer of 2023, it caused panic among other bantamweight contenders and critics, including Sterling himself. Many doubted Suga’s readiness for the opportunity, arguing that he had barely faced a top-tier opponent in the division on his way to the title shot. Some even accused Dana White of showing favoritism towards O’Malley, fueling further controversy.

This sentiment was recently echoed by O’Malley’s rival, #3 ranked bantamweight contender Petr Yan. He questioned the legitimacy of O’Malley’s title reign on social media, boldly stating, “I never considered Sean a real champion. He was gifted [a] decision against me in Abu Dhabi,” Yan said in a post on X. “Rematch season is open, so see you soon.”

What are your thoughts on Chael Sonnen’s remark? Do you also believe that Sean O’Malley deserves a rematch against Merab Dvalishvili? Drop your opinion below.