Petr Yan’s recovery from back surgery, which sidelined the bantamweight champion until summer 2026, has kept focus on his most logical next matchup against Merab Dvalishvili. Their rivalry sits at 1-1 following Yan’s unanimous-decision victory at UFC 323 in December 2025 that reclaimed the title, and reports continue to link the pair for a trilogy bout later this year. Trader consensus heavily favors Dvalishvili because the Georgian has repeatedly called for the rematch and the UFC has historically prioritized settling such rivalries. Sean O’Malley sits a distant second as the division’s most prominent former champion, with public statements pushing for a title shot if the trilogy stalls, while lower-probability names like Alexander Volkanovski or Song Yadong reflect speculative matchmaking rather than active negotiations or recent form indicators.