Sports
November 23, 2024 12:10 pm ET
Petr Yan proved he’s aloof amongst the elite in the UFC’s bantamweight division along with his efficiency in the most important occasion of UFC Fight Evening 248, and he wants to bustle it encourage in opposition to now-champion Merab Dvalishvili.
Venerable UFC bantamweight champion Yan (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) emerged victorious in a thriller in opposition to extinct flyweight titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo. Yan swept the scorecards in opposition to Figueiredo (24-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) to uncover his 2d consecutive unanimous resolution.
Attempting ahead, Yan wants to reclaim UFC gold. For “No Mercy,” there’s no longer many obstacles in his formula.
“I already beat both Sean O’Malley and (Cory) Sandhagen,” Yan acknowledged through an interpreter at a submit-fight data conference. “I already beat them sooner than.”
Yan defeated Sandhagen by unanimous resolution at UFC 267 in 2021, reclaiming a fragment of the bantamweight title he misplaced to Aljamain Sterling in the previous fight on account of an illegal knee. The next fights, a unification rematch in opposition to Sterling and a bout in opposition to now-extinct champion Sean O’Malley, were heartbreaking destroy up-resolution losses that he believes were victories.
On account of those results, some started writing Yan off as considered one of many elites in the division, that might possibly well well also fair were premature. The subsequent fight in opposition to Dvalishvili, which he misplaced by unanimous resolution, handiest made that chatter develop louder.
Then all all over again, Yan has since won two straight, and appears to be like to be absolutely encourage now on music after defeating Music Yadong and Figueiredo.
“Merab, let’s assemble all of it all over again,” Yan acknowledged. “I’m ready to chat just a few rematch, and I ponder it’s going to be a extremely bright fight.”
Yan is at present ranked No. 3 in the promotion’s bantamweight rankings, with handiest Umar Nurmagomedov and O’Malley before him. Dvalishvili, who won the title at UFC 306, does no longer hang his first title defense scheduled, but Yan appears to be like to ponder more work might possibly well also very effectively be famous to net a title shot in opposition to Dvalishvili.
“It’s my 2d uncover in a row,” Yan acknowledged. “I beat if truth be told complicated opponents who were on a hit streaks too. Step-by-step, we’re getting there. We’re going to net these rematches and a title fight.”
For more on the card, seek the advice of with MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC Fight Evening 248.
Be obvious to seek the advice of with the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to enlighten about this and more state material with followers of mixed martial arts.