Petr Yan claims victory at UFC Macau would see him leapfrog Umar Nurmagomedov as the next title challenger at 135lbs
11/20/2024 07:51 AM
Former bantamweight champion Petr Yan returns to the octagon this weekend in the main event of UFC Macau, and you better believe that the Russian will show 'No Mercy' to his opponent as he chases another title shot.
Whilst the UFC might be pushing for Merab Dvalishvili to defend his 135lb title against Umar Nurmagomedov next, the popular Russian believes that he could leapfrog the 18-0 phenom with a big win when the promotion touches back down in China.
Petr Yan believes victory at UFC Macau puts him in line for title shot
Following his unanimous decision victory over Song Yadong earlier this year, former UFC champion Petr Yan would reveal a string of serious injuries including a ruptured ACL, a torn meniscus, and a groin injury.
"Getting injured is always bad news, it's a long recovery and rehab process, but it's also part of our job," Yan stated to the UFC News crew ahead of his return to action in Macau.
"We're fighters and that's why we're different from everyone else, being able to overcome obstacles is how you differentiate from being challenger and champion."
Since dropping his bantamweight title to Aljamain Sterling with an infamous illegal knee, Yan has slumped to 2-3 in his last five UFC fights – although ‘he ‘No Mercy’ still believes that he's just one big win away from another title shot.
"To be honest, I feel like I only have one real loss on my record, I believe that I'll be able to compete with all of the top guys and challenge for a belt.
“Merab has been saying that he's [Deiveson Figueiredo] the only real deserving challenger for his belt, so this is a good opportunity for me to get this position; beat him and challenge for the belt instead of him.
"I believe this is a number one contender's fight," claimed Yan, before teasing that champion Dvalishvili isn't ready to compete against the 18-0 Nurmagomedov, who in turn also needs another victory before truly claiming No. 1 contender status.
"Merab is currently champ but I believe that he's not ready to defend his title just yet, especially against Umar; it seems like he is avoiding him.
"Also Umar, I believe he needs a couple of good wins too so with a win over Deiveson, I believe that I can get back into the title picture and challenge for the belt again."
Remember to set your alarms nice and early for UFC Macau
UFC Macau will be the seventh time that the promotion has hosted an event out in China, with this weekend's Fight Night card actually being a rare 'Fight Morning' card for fans in the US.
As confirmed by the UFC website, the early prelims start from midnight PST/3 AM EST before the main card kicks off from 3 AM on the US West Coast and 6 AM on the East Coast.
13 fights are scheduled for the event, with the main card set to feature six ranked contenders.
- Petr Yan (3) vs Deiveson Figueiredo (5) – Bantamweight (Main Event)
- Yan Xiaonan (2) vs Tabatha Ricci (10) – Women's Strawweight (Co-Main Event)
- Song Kenan vs Muslim Salikhov – Welterweight
- Wang Cong vs Gabriella Fernandes – Women's Flyweight
- Volkan Oezdemir (8) vs Carlos Ulberg (10) – Light Heavyweight
- Zhang Mingyang vs Ozzy Diaz – Light Heavyweight
UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Figueiredo goes down live from the Galaxy Arena in Macau, China, on Saturday, November 23.
