Sean O’Malley Convinced Dana White Will Snub Former UFC Champ for White House Event’s Success

While Merab Dvalishvili is eyeing a rematch against Petr Yan, Sean O’Malley is also looking to fight ‘No Mercy’ in the UFC White House main event and is already convinced that Dana White will choose him over the former champion.

Dana White & Co. are turning the White House’s South Lawn into an arena-style venue for June 14. After back-to-back losses to Merab Dvalishvili,Sean O’Malley will return to the octagon at UFC 324 this month to take on Song Yadong. If he comes out on top, O’Malley is pushing the UFC to set up a rematch against Petr Yan in the summer, aiming for a show-stealing performance at the landmark event.

Sean O’Malley pushes for the spotlight at the UFC White House event

While speaking to Jorge Masvidal on Death Row MMA, ‘Suga’ revealed that, according to him, there is only one fight that is perfect for the main event of the UFC White House event.

“Me versus Petr at the White House just makes sense. I don’t know what else. What’s a bigger fight than that? If we’re going off just pure big fights, if we’re going off what makes the absolute most sense, which is not always what the UFC goes off, I think Merab deserves a title shot,” Sean O’Malley told Jorge Masvidal on Death Row MMA.

His comments highlight how the UFC runs matchmaking, showing that rankings don’t always dictate title shots. In fact, the promotion often delivers what fans want, since UFC thrives on entertainment as much as sport. For example, this became clear when the UFC bypassed No. 1-ranked Arman Tsarukyan andinstead gave Paddy Pimblett the chance to fight Justin Gaethje for the interim title at UFC 324.

“But if you’re going off what the biggest fight is, you know, me versus Petr rematch at the White House seems like the biggest fight,” Sean O’Malley added. And looking at his track record, O’Malley’s live gate proves his marketability among American fans. While he may not have reached the global superstar level of Conor McGregor, he still draws huge attention.

At UFC 306, in his first fight against Merab Dvalishvili, he set a record live gate of $21,829,245. Of course, while Dvalishvili added value to the card, O’Malley’s UFC 299 bout against Chito Vera also ranks among the top 10 UFC live gates. That proven drawing power is exactly why O’Malley believes he should get the fight with Yan, creating a booking dilemma for the UFC and potentially leaving the deserving Dvalishvili on the sidelines.

The Georgian star may be left out of the spotlight. Since his wrestling-heavy style doesn’t excite Western fans as much, the promotion tends to favor striking fighters. Meanwhile, Sean O’Malley now has a bigger chance to steal the spotlight, especially as he looks to close out his MMA career this year, making the UFC White House event a career-defining moment for him.

This may be the final year for Sean O’Malley in the UFC

While there are rumors that Sean O’Malley might be hanging up his boots soon, he has confirmed his stance on retirement. Despite being unable to pick up a win in two years, O’Malley is looking to take it one fight at a time.

His back-to-back losses to Merab Dvalishvili, however, forced him to reflect and change. Now, he prioritizes family, spending more time with his daughter and planning for more kids. Before that, he aims for one final shot at the title to reclaim it once and for all.

“Honestly, I’m getting ready for Petr still, too,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “I know I can’t look past Song, which I’m not. I’m not taking Song [lightly]… I’m preparing for him, but I’m preparing for Petr, too… This might be the last Suga year ever […] It’s almost so pointless to predict what I want to do in the next five years, two years, three years. Take it one fight [at a time]. If I go out there and lose and lose, I’m done with this s**t.”

Sean O’Malley is now looking to finish his MMA career as a UFC superstar. At this point, he isn’t chasing money, having already invested in several ventures. So, who do you want to see fight Petr Yan next, Sean O’Malley or Merab Dvalishvili? Drop your pick below.

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