Chael Sonnen Warns Merab Dvalishvili May Lose Out On Immediate Petr Yan Title Rematch
Chael Sonnen has alleged that the Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi bout scheduled for June 14 will be for the interim UFC bantamweight championship. However, there have been no official updates from the UFC.
Merab Dvalishvili is expected to run it back with the current and two-time 135-pound champion titleholder, Petr Yan, as soon as Yan is ready to get in the octagon again. The Russian fighter has already shared footage showing that he is hitting the gym following back surgery, and reports suggest he will enter the octagon in the third quarter of 2026.
Dvalishvili, meanwhile, busted up his nose once more while training. Although a reconstruction is necessary for “The Machine” to perform at his full potential, for now, the Georgian wants to get his lost glory back by dethroning Yan at all costs, and the UFC has promised him a title rematch.
Dvalishvili has also stated that despite the gruesome nose injury, he will fight this year and will only get surgery done once he retires.
Chael Sonnen’s bizarre claim
UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen believes that when Sean O’Malley and Aiemann Zahabi throw down on June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House, the interim 135-pound strap will be up for grabs.
During a recent YouTube video on his channel, he said:
“Sean O’Malley’s fight at the White House has been elevated to an interim title fight, which means a couple of things. First off get well to Petr Yan and secondly it doesn’t look like Merab will be getting that immediate rematch.
Check out Chael Sonnen’s comments about Sean O’Malley vs. Aiemann Zahabi below:
If what Sonnen says is true, that would mean “The Machine” won’t get an immediate title rematch with Yan as promised by the UFC brass to complete their trilogy.
