Daniel Cormier addresses Sean O'Malley omission at UFC 333

Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier has addressed the controversy surrounding his decision to mention Song Yadong instead of Sean O'Malley during a post-fight interview with Petr Yan at UFC 333.

Following Yan's bantamweight title defense against Merab Dvalishvili, Cormier interviewed Yan in the cage and suggested a potential matchup with Song Yadong, who was present at the arena. The omission of O'Malley, a top-ranked contender, caused friction with O'Malley's coaching staff.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Cormier explained that production instructions in his earpiece directed him to focus on Song Yadong because the cameras were intended to show him. Cormier also admitted to a momentary lapse in memory, stating, “You have beat Song Yadong, and honestly, in that moment, I actually forgot that you beat Song Yadong.”

O'Malley reportedly responded to Cormier's messages by stating he did not take the incident personally. Cormier noted that despite the oversight, he, Joe Rogan, and Jon Anik have previously advocated for O'Malley to receive an immediate title shot.