Tag: petr yan

Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo set for UFC Macau, Reinier de Ridder’s debut opponent revealed

Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo set for UFC Macau, Reinier de Ridder's debut opponent revealedFormer UFC champions will square off when the promotion returns to China this November. First reported by Leo Guimaraes…

Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo set for UFC Macau, Reinier de Ridder's debut opponent revealed

Former UFC champions will square off when the promotion returns to China this November.

First reported by Leo Guimaraes on X, Petr Yan will meet Deiveson Figueiredo on Saturday, November 23 inside the Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. Currently, ‘No Mercy’ is holding things down as the No. 3 ranked contender in the bantamweight division. At the same time, Figueiredo continues to inch his way up the ladder and is standing strong at No. 5.

UFC

The bout could very well act as a potential title eliminator with the winner facing newly minted 135-pound titleholder Merab Dvalishvili — once ‘The Machine’ takes care of some business with Umar Nurmagomedov.

After a year-long layoff, Yan returned to the Octagon at UFC 299 and earned a decisive unanimous decision victory over Song Yadong, snapping a three-fight losing skid in the process. Before that, the former bantamweight champion had suffered back-to-back split decision losses against Aljmain Sterling and Sean O’Malley before being manhandled by Dvalishvili in March 2023.

UFC

Figueiredo, on the other hand, has found immense success in the bantamweight division after moving up following his iconic quadrilogy with former flyweight king Brandon Moreno. Since making his debut at 135, ‘Deus da Guerra’ has bested Rob Font and Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera via decision while adding a second-round submission victory over Cody Garbrandt to his resume.

UFC

Reinier de Ridder books his UFC debut against gerald meerschaert

After news broke that former two-division ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder had signed with the UFC, we now know who ‘The Dutch Knight’ will face in his Octagon debut.

De Ridder’s tenure with the promotion will officially begin on Saturday, November 9 when he squares off with middleweight mainstay Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 100.

UFC

In August, Meerschaert became the leader for most finishes in UFC middleweight history in August after submitting Edmen Shahbazyan. It was Meerschaert’s 12th finish at 185 pounds. All 12 of his wins have come by way of submission or knockout inside the Octagon.

Not to be outdone, de Ridder has finished 15 of his 17 wins, including 12 submission and three by way of KO. The Dutch Knight’ earned back-to-back wins against Aung La N Sang under the ONE Championship banner to capture both the ONE middleweight and light heavyweight championships.

He successfully defended the belt against former ONE titleholder Vitaly Bigdash before surrendering his gold in two straight losses against Russian juggernaut Anatoly Malykhin.

Reinier De Ridder Vitaly Bigdash ONE159 1920X1280 46 1200x800 1

Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Set For UFC Macau On Nov. 23

The UFC’s return to Macau looks set to have high stakes in the bantamweight title picture. Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is set to take the Octagon back to Macau — an autonomous region on the south coast of China — for the first time in a decade later this year, with the Galaxy Arena […]

Continue Reading Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Set For UFC Macau On Nov. 23 at MMA News.

The UFC’s return to Macau looks set to have high stakes in the bantamweight title picture.

Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion is set to take the Octagon back to Macau — an autonomous region on the south coast of China — for the first time in a decade later this year, with the Galaxy Arena playing host to a UFC Fight Night card on November 23.

And the lineup looks to have its first major addition in the form of a clash between former champions.

Per Brazilian reporter Léo Guimaraes, ex-bantamweight kingpin Petr Yan (17-5) and former two-time flyweight titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo (24-3-1) are set to meet in a crucial showdown at 135 pounds in Macau.

Yan, Figueiredo Expected To Battle For Potential UFC Title Shot In China

Should this bout be made official, one man could leave Macau with a shot at the bantamweight belt set for down the line.

For Yan, that would present another chance to regain the divisional title. The Russian previously held it prior to a disqualification loss to Aljamain Sterling in 2021. While he subsequently captured interim status, he fell short against “Funk Master” in their rematch.

The tough times continued for Yan in the subsequent months. He first suffered a controversial split decision loss to Sean O’Malley in 2022 before being convincingly outpointed by another then-future champ in Merab Dvalishvili the following year. But having bounced back in style by stalling the charge of Song Yadong at UFC 299 this past March, “No Mercy” is now targeting a return to a win streak for the first time since 2020.

To do so, the Russian standout will have to hand Figueiredo his first defeat at 135 pounds. “Deus Da Guerra” committed to a long-discussed bantamweight switch following the end of his second flyweight rule against Brandon Moreno in early 2023. He’s since reeled off three straight wins to rise to #5 in the rankings, defeating Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon Vera.

Deiveson Figueiredo
Image: Chris Unger/UFC/Zuffa LLC

Continue Reading Petr Yan vs. Deiveson Figueiredo Set For UFC Macau On Nov. 23 at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili Uses ‘Bully’ Petr Yan Example To Explain Dislike Of Russia

Merab Dvalishvili recently referenced Petr Yan as an example to articulate his disdain for Russia as a nation. Earlier this month, in the main event of Noche UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, Dvalishivili showcased his superiority over Sean O’Malley with relentless grappling and punishing ground control to become the new UFC […]

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Uses ‘Bully’ Petr Yan Example To Explain Dislike Of Russia at MMA News.

Merab Dvalishvili recently referenced Petr Yan as an example to articulate his disdain for Russia as a nation.

Earlier this month, in the main event of Noche UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, Dvalishivili showcased his superiority over Sean O’Malley with relentless grappling and punishing ground control to become the new UFC bantamweight champion.

Despite his energetic persona, “The Machine” typically avoids the harsh trash talk that often surrounds UFC fighters. But in his pursuit of a title shot against “Suga”, Dvalishvili created a series of humorous skits, playfully mocking the former champion to help bring the fight to fruition.

When Dvalishvili faced Petr Yan in March 2023, his typically composed demeanor cracked, revealing fiery emotions as he fiercely condemned the Russian regime and voiced his deep resentment over its aggressive military occupations of neighboring countries over the years.

Dvalishvili Blames Russian Occupation Of Georgia For His Loathing Of The Country

During a recent interview with former UFC welterweight Jake Shields, Dvalishvili candidly discussed his deep-seated contempt for the Russian state. “The Machine” revealed that his animosity toward Yan was fueled by a larger resentment toward Russia, a nation that has repeatedly waged war against his homeland of Georgia over territorial conflicts, resulting in significant casualties.

“Petr Yan, he’s from Russia; he’s a bully,” Dvalishvili said. “[I don’t hate] Russian people. It’s the country because they are corrupt, and Russia occupied my country—20% of Georgia. They are my enemies. You know, when they come, of course, we treat them as guests, no problem. Of course, they love our food, they love our hospitality, but they throw bombs in the city and kill people. And we are a small country, so we ask, ‘Why are you killing us?’ I’m saying, let’s just be friends with everybody.”

Dvalishvili went on to share that at just 17 years old; he witnessed the devastation of the Russo-Georgian War in August 2008. The brutal conflict claimed the lives of many of his close friends and relatives as Russian bombs rained down on Tbilisi.

“In 1991, when they took Abkhazia, and then the second time, I was 17 in 2008, they occupied Ossetia, and so many people lost their homes. We lost so many people, and they threw bombs in the capital city.”

Continue Reading Merab Dvalishvili Uses ‘Bully’ Petr Yan Example To Explain Dislike Of Russia at MMA News.

Petr Yan calls for UFC 310 fight return before end of year

Petr Yan calls for UFC 310 fight return before end of yearFormer undisputed bantamweight champion, Petr Yan has staked his claim for an end-of-year return at UFC 310 in December…

Petr Yan calls for UFC 310 fight return before end of year

Former undisputed bantamweight champion, Petr Yan has staked his claim for an end-of-year return at UFC 310 in December — claiming he wants to land one more fight this annum before the year comes to an end.

Yan, the current number three ranked divisional contender, most recently featured at UFC 299 back in March, snapping a three-fight losing run in an impressive unanimous decision win over surging Chinese star, Song Yadong.

Petr Yan snaps losing skid with impressive decision win over Song Yadong at UFC 299 Highlights
Mandatory Credit: Chris Unger – Zuffa LLC

The victory returned Dudinka native, Petr Yan back to the winner’s enclosure following a prior string of three consecutive losses to Merab Dvalishvili, Sean O’Malley, and two-fight rival, Aljamain Sterling.

Winning the vacant bantamweight crown back in 2020 with a knockout win over former featherweight kingpin, Jose Aldo — Russian striker, Yan would go on to lose his crown in the immediate aftermath, dropping a hugely controversial and infamous disqualification defeat to the above-mentioned, Sterling.

Petr Yan confirms plans for return to Octagon at UFC 299 next March sounds good for a comeback
Mandatory Credit: Icon Sportswire

Petr Yan confirms plans for UFC 310 return at end of year

However, positioned still within the top-3 rankings at the bantamweight limit, Yan would like to return to action at UFC 310 December, in a bid to earn a rematch soon with either O’Malley or Dvalishvili.

Petr Yan Song Yadong UFC 299

“I want to fight on the last PPV card of the year,” Petr Yan posted on his official X account.

Furthermore, when questioned as to who he would like to take on in his next outing, Yan revealed he would like to stand opposite former undisputed flyweight champion, Deiveson Figueiredo — in a long-mooted showdown between the duo at the end of the year.

So far running a perfect three-fight winning run since his move from flyweight at the end of last year, Brazilian fan-favorite, Figueiredo most recently defeated most-recent title challenger, Marlon Vera earlier this summer — following a prior submission of Cody Garbrandt, as well as a prior victory over Rob Font in his bantamweight bow.

Aljamain Sterling’s Cornerman Clarifies Any Doubt Over Faking Petr Yan Disqualification & Title Win

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has always had a somewhat rocky relationship with certain parts of the MMA fanbase. “Funkmaster” has an awkward striking style and a strong grappling game which means that his fights aren’t always the most exciting to watch, even if he’s incredibly effective at what he does. Aside from this, […]

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling’s Cornerman Clarifies Any Doubt Over Faking Petr Yan Disqualification & Title Win at MMA News.

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has always had a somewhat rocky relationship with certain parts of the MMA fanbase.

“Funkmaster” has an awkward striking style and a strong grappling game which means that his fights aren’t always the most exciting to watch, even if he’s incredibly effective at what he does.

Aside from this, another point that saw some of the UFC’s audience take a dislike to Sterling was what happened at UFC 259, where he challenged Petr Yan for the 135-pound title.

Yan landed an illegal knee to Sterling’s head whilst he was a downed opponent in the fourth round which the challenger couldn’t recover from.

As a result, Yan was disqualified, meaning that the title changed hands in disappointing fashion.

Eric Nicksick Recalls How Aljamain Sterling Had No Memory Of UFC 259 On His Journey Home

Despite the knee strike being a clear and obvious foul on Yan’s side, some fans didn’t like the way Sterling won the title as a result, and questioned whether he actually couldn’t continue or if he was looking for a way out because the fight wasn’t going his way.

This was cleared up during a recent episode of the Verse Us podcast where Sterling joined Xtreme Couture head coach Eric Nicksick, who was in his corner on that night.

Nicksick provided more details about how that decision was made to not continue and what the aftermath of that knee landing was like.

He recalled how, after nominating himself to stay with Sterling and take him back home from the hospital, it was clear that he had no memory of what had just happened.

“I said to Ray [Longo], I’ll go to the hospital with him and I had to sit in the f****** parking lot. You didn’t get to sit in the waiting room, this is COVID era so I get a text from him or whoever was kind of there, one of the nurses or UFC personnel, ‘Hey, he’s ready, you can come around the back, you can pick him up.’

“We get in the car and what, 30-minute ride home and this is why I know, from a personal level, that this dude wasn’t faking. 30-minutes of him asking round after round after round. I say this because guys that I know that have been knocked out or have had head trauma have asked the same questions. ‘What happened in round one? What happened in round two?’ Going through everything in their head.”

Sterling returns at UFC 307 where he faces Movsar Evloev in search of his second consecutive win at featherweight.

Read also: Aljamain Sterling Accuses Sean O’Malley Of Being Given The ‘Jake Paul Route’ By The UFC: “Stacking The Deck Against His Opponent”

Continue Reading Aljamain Sterling’s Cornerman Clarifies Any Doubt Over Faking Petr Yan Disqualification & Title Win at MMA News.

Petr Yan responds to call out from Marlon Vera for Madison Square Garden fight: ‘I’ll take him to school’

Petr Yan accepts call out from Marlon Vera for Madison Square Garden fight I'll take him to schoolFormer UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan is open to facing Marlon Vera next time out. Vera is coming off…

Petr Yan accepts call out from Marlon Vera for Madison Square Garden fight I'll take him to school

Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan is open to facing Marlon Vera next time out.

Vera is coming off a lopsided decision loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 299 for the bantamweight title. Following the loss, Vera called for a fight with Yan, as he thought it made sense and was hoping for it to be in November at Madison Square Garden.

Petr Yan snaps losing skid with impressive decision win over Song Yadong at UFC 299 Highlights
Mandatory Credit: Chris Unger – Zuffa LLC

“I was hoping to fight Yan in November,” Vera told Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour following his loss to O’Malley at UFC 299, “I feel that would be a great fight that makes sense.”

Although Vera called for the fight with Yan in November, the Russian did suffer a significant knee injury, but he thinks he will be ready for November and to beat ‘Chito’ up.

Sean OMalley UFC 299
Mandatory Credit: Chris Unger – Zuffa LLC

“Yes, I’ll be ready just in time for November. Of course, I agree. I’m taking him to a mixed martial arts school. You saw how Song Yadong showed his coolest boxing. Everything didn’t go according to plan a little bit. For Vera, things won’t go according to plan either. One hundred percent. We proceed from what we have at the moment. October-November is a good time to fight. But can I do two? I think not – there will be only one,” Yan said to SportsRU.

On paper, a fight between Marlon Vera and Petr Yan does make sense, and after both are interested, many fans are hopeful it will happen on the MSG card in November.

Petr Yan rehabbing a knee injury

Petr Yan suffered a significant knee injury in his UFC 299 decision win over Song Yadong.

Yan revealed he hurt his knee in the first round, but he ended up winning the second and third rounds to get the decision win. However, following the victory, he took to social media to reveal he suffered a significant knee injury.

“So MRI confirmed ACL rupture, meniscus tear and groin injury,” Yan wrote on X. “Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. Nothing will break me, I’m determined to come back stronger than ever in no time.”

Despite the significant injury, Yan still feels like he will be ready by November to face Vera.