Petr Yan is a top fighter in an incredibly stacked bantamweight division. He is a former bantamweight champion and has dominated many legends of the sport. His rivalry with Aljamain Sterling was very heated and produced two entertaining clashes for the title. Now that Sterling has lost his title to Sean O’Malley, Yan has called on his former opponent to complete the trilogy.
The Career Of Petr Yan
Yan’s nickname is No Mercy, perfectly summarising his fighting style. He has a professional record of 16-5 with seven finishes. He has wins over fighters like Cory Sandhagen, Josè Aldo, and Jon Dodson. As previously stated, he is a former bantamweight champion. However, he controversially lost the belt. He dominated the first meeting against Sterling before throwing an illegal knee in the fourth round. Since losing to Sterling, Yan hasn’t looked the same as he has been on a losing streak, losing to fighters such as Merab Dvalishvilli and O’Malley. Yan wants to get back into the win column with a win over the man who started his losing streak. He called for a third fight with Sterling over the social media platform X.
Sterling said, “Rematch 2024. Game of inches. I’ll be back,” referring to the O’Malley rematch.
Yan then replied “Deal” to the tweet.
Would a Third Fight Happen
As you can see by the tweets, Sterling’s next fight looks like it will be a rematch with O’Malley. However, there is a good reason for the rematch with Yan. Firstly, there is a lot of intrigue in a third fight as the rivalry between the two fighters was very entertaining, and it would be great to see the matchup again. It could be a risky fight for Sterling, but if he wins, it would further his legacy as he could put the rivalry with Yan to bed. From Yan’s perspective, the fight is likely personal because he won the first fight before the knee. Which means he knows he can beat Sterling.
Furthermore, a win over the Funkmaster would put him right into title contention. In addition to this, his fight with O’Malley was a split decision, and many people believed he won the fight. Due to this, it is easy to see UFC granting him a rematch with O’Malley if he were to beat Sterling.
What Is Next for Yan
If the Sterling fight doesn’t happen, there are still some exciting matchups for Yan to choose from. The first name that comes to mind is Henry Cejudo, as they are both big names in the division and need a win to get back to the title. Rob Font is also an option, and that would be an intriguing fight because they are both great strikers. Finally, Marlon Vera beat Pedro Munhoz, and whoever is victorious in a matchup between the two could be next in line for a title shot.
Yan is an excellent fighter, and it would be great to see him challenge for the title again.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
