Latest news with #bantamweight
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Petr Yan, UFC's forgotten man at 135, is quietly building back toward the title
On Tuesday night, UFC CEO Dana White served up a full party tray of new fight bookings, including a UFC 320 bantamweight title fight between Merab Dvalishvili and Cory Sandhagen. It's the kind of fight that is both gratifying and remarkable. Sandhagen is finally getting his shot, and yet … didn't Merab just defend his title in June? Guess that's why they call him 'The Machine.' One interesting spectator come October will be Petr Yan, the forgotten man at 135 pounds. He has a fight of his own Saturday in Abu Dhabi against Marcus McGhee. It's an important one. As Merab goes about destroying everyone in his general vicinity, Yan has been quietly making his way back toward him. One slip up, and he'll fall entirely out of earshot of Merab's great rumbling. Or, if there's an upset in the cards this fall, of Sandhagen's soft-spoken philosophies. 'I believe after the win I should be the one fighting for the belt,' Yan told Uncrowned this week. 'I already beat Sandhagen before. For example, if he wins the fight with Merab, there's a rematch for him. And then if it's Merab who's holding the belt, then I believe this fight will be different, because last time I fought him I was just 50%, I was injured, my hand was injured and I couldn't even punch.' The old proverb goes that excuses have stayed in business for a long time. But in Yan's case, that's a particularly hard pill to swallow. Not only did he have the injury, but the optics were troubling. Merab took Yan down 11 times in the fight. He doubled him up in striking with preternatural pace and pressure. It was Yan's fourth recorded loss in five fights, which meant he had effectively fallen from the topflight ranks at bantamweight and was rapidly hurtling down to earth. If the split decision losses against Aljamain Sterling and Sean O'Malley looked like heists in the eyes of the public, the Merab loss was thorough. It didn't leave a lot to the imagination, but a lot of holes to address. 'Losses are hard to take, but sometimes they also teach you stuff,' Yan says. 'They give you opportunity to work on your mistakes, to improve, to become better. And I believe I'm a better version of myself right now. And with the winner, I believe I deserve to fight for the belt.' The proof he's learned from his mistakes might be in the more recent results. Back at UFC 299, Yan took two out of three rounds against the hard-hitting Song Yadong to get back on track. Within that performance there were obvious flashes of the Yan who blasted his way through the likes of Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber in his championship heyday. Yan followed that up with a super-impressive thrashing of Deiveson Figueiredo this past November in China, a victory that wasn't nearly as subtle. He swept the scorecards over the course of five rounds. That one felt like a declaration that Yan, whose nickname of 'No Mercy' matched his Mugsy-like demeanor, was back. Still, he enters Saturday's fight on virtual tiptoe, which might have more to do with the relatively unsung McGhee than Yan. McGhee has won all four of his UFC fights since debuting in 2023 and finds himself in a spot to catapult himself toward the top of the division in one fell swoop. Yan knows he is being viewed — at least from the McGhee camp — as the stepping stone. 'At some point, all of us are unknown,' he says. 'At some point, I got the chance and now I'm giving the chance to Marcus. But he's a good guy, a good opponent. He deserves to be in this position.' Here the 32-year-old Yan turns back into the cold specimen that distinguished him from 2016-2020, when he won 10 fights in a row, including all seven to that point in the UFC. 'He is a good fighter, an orthodox fighter, fast, explosive, he tries to do a lot of different stuff," Yan says. "But skill-wise, I think I'm on a different level, and this Saturday night I think I'm going to show you for the real martial artists. And I'm going to show him there's levels to this and make sure he's going to regret accepting this fight.' If he does regain his entire mojo and emerges as the top option for the winner of Dvalishvili vs. Sandhagen, Yan's story will become one of perseverance. Those were some rough losses he suffered. When he lost the title with an illegal knee against Sterling in 2021, it turned Sterling into a persona non grata for taking the title in that way. When he lost the split decision rematch 13 months later, after beating Sandhagen in his rebound fight, it was insult to injury. Then came O'Malley, which made him believe the universe was against him (or at least the three cageside judges) and question why he was bothering. Then Merab, which turned a former champion into a forgotten man altogether. Siberia is considered one of the most isolated places on earth. Yan would know. He was born there, and — though he now calls Sverdlovsk Oblast home — the newest wrinkle he has to his game is the understanding of banishment. He got sent to the figurative Siberia during that losing skid, and the man who sent him there is at large. Merab's defending his title for a third time this year in October. He's the tyranny of the division. And if Yan intends to do anything about it, there's one obstacle left to get through: Marcus McGhee. 'I'm mentally and technically at my peak right now,' Yan says. 'I'm just going to create some bumps and fireworks.'
The National
2 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Marcus McGhee grateful for surprise UFC Fight Night clash with Petr Yan while Russian eyes another title shot
Marcus McGhee is aiming to make the most of a surprise opportunity when he takes on former champion and third-ranked bantamweight Petr Yan in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night at Etihad Arena on Saturday. The American goes into the contest with a four-win record in the promotion and 10-1 overall record in a stacked 12-fight card headlined by the middleweight contest between Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder. McGhee, 35, admits he was shocked to get the call to compete against the Russian who has fought 14 times in the UFC – winning his last two fights – with an overall 18-5 record. A win here will move McGhee to the top three in the category, but he remains realistic, saying he needs another one or two fights to earn a title contest. 'I guess they didn't find an opponent much higher up the ranks and I got the opportunity, which I'm glad for, and to feature in the co-main fight in the card,' McGhee said at a media event on Wednesday. 'In this game, anything can happen at any given time. This is one of those unforgiving sports, so I'm always just focused and grateful on the task at hand.' With both McGhee and Yan known for their striking, the American added: 'I know we're going to stand and trade, but I definitely think that we're going to hit the ground for sure, too. 'Honestly, I don't hit the ground as much as well, but I have grappling skills as well, and I definitely see us hitting the ground at some point as well. So I definitely think that up and down is going to be there. It's going to be a full mixed martial arts fight.' Yan is hoping to cement his place for another title fight with victory over the No 12 ranked McGhee. He originally became bantamweight champion at UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi in 2020 after demolishing Jose Aldo. 'I don't think there's anybody who is ranked higher or somebody who deserves this more than I do,' he said of a potential rematch against title holder Georgian Merab Dvalishvili, against whom he lost via unanimous decision in 2023. 'With the confidence and a win on the night, I'll make sure to cement my place as the next contender. At this moment I have my own goals, my own ambitions to fight for the title.' The main card also includes a middleweight clash between Shara Magomedov and Marc-Andre Barriault, Asu Almabayev's flyweight clash with Jose Ochoa and Nikita Krylov and Bogdan Guskov's lightweight bout.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Next fights for Tom Aspinall, Alex Pereira, Merab Dvalishvili announced in wave of UFC news
Several of the UFC's biggest names have their next marching orders. UFC CEO Dana White on Tuesday announced a quartet of big-time bouts for the second half of the year, including a trio of matchups for UFC 320 on Oct. 4 in Las Vegas: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira 2 for the UFC light heavyweight title, Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen for the UFC bantamweight title, and Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. in a battle of light heavyweight top contenders. White also announced the first official defense of Tom Aspinall's undisputed UFC heavyweight championship, as the ferocious Brit collides against Ciryl Gane on Oct. 25 in Abu Dhabi at UFC 321. Pereira gets his Ankalaev rematch Between his star power and the somewhat controversial decision that ripped the light heavyweight belt out of his hands, there was little doubt Pereira would get a rematch. He's now set to step into the Octagon seven months after his first meeting with Ankalaev. While some had "Poaton" winning on their score cards, there's no denying Pereira looked listless (by his standards) at UFC 313. He has since revealed he nearly pulled out of the fight with injuries, which UFC commentator Joe Rogan claimed were a broken hand and norovirus. There was also the fact that it was his fourth title defense in the span of a year. Seven months will represent the longest layoff between fights in Pereira's UFC career, though Ankalaev's chances aren't to be discounted. The Russian has a game that could prove to Pereira's kryptonite, especially considering he won the belt despite going 0-for-12 in takedown attempts, which many thought was his only path to victory. That Prochazka vs. Rountree fight also sure looks like it will decide who gets the next crack at Ankalaev should he survive another go-round with Pereira. The future will be a little less clear if Pereira wins, as he's already beaten both of them convincingly (twice, in the case of Prochazka). Dvalishvili's quest to clear out 135 continues If Sandhagen can't surprise Dvalishvili, the UFC might be fresh out of ideas on how to unseat the relentless Georgian. In the span of six fights, Dvalishvili has beaten Jose Aldo, Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, Sean O'Malley, Umar Nurmagomedov and the non-hair dye version of O'Malley. That's an absurd list, and it's not like these fights have been close despite all but the last one going to decision. Nearly every bout has seen Dvalishvili torturing a beleaguered opponent in the final rounds. Dvalishvili is also jumping back in only four months after the second O'Malley fight, so he's showing he has as little trouble with fatigue between fights as he does during them. Sandhagen, fourth on the UFC's official bantamweight rankings, earned the title shot with a dominant showing over Deiveson Figueiredo. He has promised to be aggressive against Dvalishvili, unlike certain other fighters. Of course, that's easier said than done. Aspinall's reign begins with a rare contender he hasn't already beaten Tom Aspinall's reign as heavyweight champion began about as anticlimactically as possible, thanks entirely to Jon Jones' approach to decision-making, and now he gets his first defense against one of the few guys at the top of the heavyweight rankings Aspinall hasn't already steamrolled. Gane is undefeated in his career except for his title shots against Jones and Francis Ngannou. He gets his chance third against a fighter who has looked even better as a UFC heavyweight than those guys. An Oct. 25 fight date means Aspinall will have gone around 15 months between fights, and that might be the only reason to bet against him. He has long been earmarked as a potential superstar for the UFC, and now he gets to finally act on that potential in Abu Dhabi.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Merab Dvalishvili to defend title vs. Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320
It didn't take long for UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili to get another title defense on the schedule. Dvalishvili is set to make his third title defense against top contender Cory Sandhagen in the UFC 320 co-main event Oct. 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The news was announced Tuesday by UFC CEO Dana White on Instagram Live. Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC), one of the busiest champions today, fights for a third time in 2025 – all three bouts being title fights. The Georgian fighter made his first title defense in January, outpointing Umar Nurmagomedov, and his second in June, submitting Sean O'Malley in a rematch. Dvalishvili looks to tie the record of most consecutive title defenses at 135 pounds. Sandhagen (18-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) fights in his first undisputed UFC title fight. He competed for the interim belt years prior, losing to Petr Yan. Sandhagen is 4-1 in his past five outings. In his most recent performance, Sandhagen stopped Deiveson Figueiredo in May. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 320: Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen set for October
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Next fights for Tom Aspinall, Alex Pereira, Merab Dvalishvili announced in wave of UFC news
Several of the UFC's biggest names have their next marching orders. UFC CEO Dana White on Tuesday announced a quartet of big-time matchups for the second half of the year, including a trio of matchups for UFC 320 on Oct. 4 in Las Vegas: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira 2 for the UFC light heavyweight title, Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen for the UFC bantamweight title, and Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree in a battle of light heavyweight top contenders. White also announced the first official defense of Tom Aspinall's undisputed UFC heavyweight championship, as the ferocious Brit collides against Ciryl Gane on Oct. 25 in Abu Dhabi at UFC 321. More on this story in a moment.
