Many fighters are victims of a meteoric rise in their sporting careers. Promotion that, on many occasions, is followed by a plummet. There are few who overcome that setback and return to a high level of competition. The appointment that Petr Yan (17-5) has this Saturday is the one that will determine if he is one of those chosen few. The Russian is coming off an important victory, but with three losses in a row as a prelude to that. If he lost again, his chances of regaining the title would be drastically reduced. If you win, the opposite would happen.
This weekend, the event takes place in a country not frequented by the UFC. China, and more specifically Macau, will host this new Fight Night, where Yan will face the former flyweight champion (125 pounds or 56.6 kilos), Deiveson Figueiredo. This clash will be key for the bantamweight division (135 pounds or 61.2 kilos), but more especially for the Russian.
Let’s recap. Petr Yan arrived at the UFC in June 2023. He came with great expectations, since he was the champion of the Russian promoter ACB. His debut in Dana White’s company was the dream. In the first round he knocked out Teruto Ishihara. Thereafter His rise was meteoric.. He won another five consecutive victories, in which he was superior to all his rivals. Thus, the opportunity to win the bantamweight champion belt came. In the fifth round he knocked out the UFC legend, Jose Aldoand became the division champion.
After this, the Russian’s career seemed to have no ceiling, but against all odds arrived earlier than expected. He fought against Aljamain Sterling, in a fight that he dominated. However, in the fourth round Yan landed an illegal knee (it is currently allowed) on his opponent, so He was disqualified and lost the belt. Then he won the interim against Cory Sandhagen giving a great performance, but Sterling beat him again, this time rightfully.
After this setback, the UFC would give the charismatic Sean O’Malley. However, the latter starred in a duel that few people expected. It turned out to be a very close fight, which could fall for any of the athletes. Finally, O’Malley came out with his hand raised. Despite having two losses in a row, the fairness in the fights did not herald a decline in Yan’s form. In his next fight he would be totally overcome by the inexhaustible cardio of Merab Dvalishvili.
With three defeats, the former champion found himself between his back and a hard place, but his victory at UFC 299 against Yadong Song seems to have given him a second life. This Saturday in Macau he will have to recover his good feelings and start a new career towards the championship. Opposite will be Deiveson Figueiredo, former flyweight champion with three victories in this new category.
