Tag: UFC Macau

Petr Yan: Nurmagomedov Not A Worthy Challenger, UFC Macau Main Event Is ‘No. 1 Contender’s Fight’ 

Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan believes a victory this weekend should put him above Umar Nurmagomedov in the pecking order. Yan is set to headline Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Macau, as the promotion returns to the region for the first time in a decade. Inside the Galaxy Arena, “No Mercy” will do battle […]

Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan believes a victory this weekend should put him above Umar Nurmagomedov in the pecking order.

Yan is set to headline Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Macau, as the promotion returns to the region for the first time in a decade. Inside the Galaxy Arena, “No Mercy” will do battle with ex-flyweight kingpin Deiveson Figueiredo.

For Yan, the upcoming event marks the opportunity for him to secure a first win streak since he captured the 135-pound crown at the expense of José Aldo in 2020. He subsequently went on a difficult 1-4 run before bouncing back against Song Yadong at UFC 299 this past March.

Figueiredo, meanwhile, has enjoyed a perfect start to life as bantamweight, winning all three of his fights to date and most recently getting past Marlon “Chito” Vera in comfortable fashion.

That result left newly crowned champ Merab Dvalishvili branding “Deus Da Guerra” a more worthy first challenger to his reign than the consensus number one contender, Dagestan’s Nurmagomedov.

And during an interview with the UFC ahead of his clash with Figueiredo in the “Las Vegas of the East,” Yan suggested that the Georgian’s stance — which he agrees with — could pave the way for his second dance with “The Machine” in 2025.

“Deiveson is a former champ, and also Merab has been saying that he’s the only real deserving challenger for his belt,” Yan said through an interpreter. “So for me, it’s a good opportunity for me to get this position, to beat him and challenge for the belt instead of him.

“I believe this is a No. 1 contender’s fight,” Yan continued. “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 maybe 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.”

Yan fell to a three-fight losing skid in March 2023 when he was handily defeated across five rounds by Dvalishvili. But should he stall Figueiredo’s two-division ambitions in Macau this week, “No Mercy” is hoping to have the chance for redemption.

Nurmagomedov would no doubt have something to say about that, however. He’s been widely branded next in line for a shot at the gold ever since he outpointed the highly regarded Cory Sandhagen in Abu Dhabi this past August.

VIDEO: Petr Yan & Deiveson Figueiredo Have First Faceoff Ahead Of UFC Macau Main Event

Top bantamweights Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo stood toe to toe just days out from their UFC Macau headliner. After staging its latest pay-per-view event inside the prestigious surroundings of Madison Square Garden this past weekend, the mixed martial arts leader is on the road for a return to the “Las Vegas of the East.” […]

Top bantamweights Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo stood toe to toe just days out from their UFC Macau headliner.

After staging its latest pay-per-view event inside the prestigious surroundings of Madison Square Garden this past weekend, the mixed martial arts leader is on the road for a return to the “Las Vegas of the East.”

The Octagon is back in Macau — an autonomous region on the south coast of China — for the first time in a decade, with the Galaxy Arena playing host to a UFC Fight Night card on Nov. 23.

The lineup will be topped by a key clash at 135 pounds, as ex-champion Yan looks to stall the two-division ambitions of former two-time flyweight kingpin Figueiredo.

Ahead of the #3 and #5-ranked bantamweights colliding, the pair had their first faceoff on Tuesday after touching down for UFC Macau.

Figueiredo has won all three of his fights since moving up from flyweight, most recently following wins over Rob Font and Cody Garbrandt with a convincing triumph over former title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera.

Yan, meanwhile, snapped his three-fight losing skid this year by getting the better of Song Yadong at UFC 299 in Miami this past March. The result marked his first taste of victory since interim title glory over Cory Sandhagen back in 2021.

Elsewhere on Saturday’s UFC Macau lineup, Yan Xiaonan returns for the first time since her failed title bid to defend her ranking against Tabatha Ricci, while top-10 light heavyweight contender Volkan Oezdemir faces a fellow hard hitter in Carlos Ulberg.

UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Bryan Battle Gets UFC 310 Return

MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards. With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week. Between Monday, October 14, and Sunday, […]

Continue Reading UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Bryan Battle Gets UFC 310 Return at MMA News.

MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards.

With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

Between Monday, October 14, and Sunday, October 20, a number of fights were made official by the promotion or reported by reputable sources. For those matchups, check out the list below:

But it wasn’t all positive, with one fight being adjusted. For that, see below:

Continue Reading UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Bryan Battle Gets UFC 310 Return at MMA News.

UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Chris Curtis Added To First 2025 Lineup

MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards. With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week. Between Monday, September 30, and […]

Continue Reading UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Chris Curtis Added To First 2025 Lineup at MMA News.

MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards.

With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

Between Monday, September 30, and Sunday, October 6, a couple of notable fights were made official by the UFC or reported by reputable sources. For more information on those matchups, check out the links below:

A number of lower-profile matchups also came together. For those, check out this week’s quick hits:

Continue Reading UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Chris Curtis Added To First 2025 Lineup at MMA News.

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.

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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.