Early in the morning of December 7, Petr Yan was set to fight Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title at UFC 323. The champion fights were not new to our athlete. However, not all of them ended positively for the Russian. Yan made a powerful entry into the UFC, becoming a champion in just seven fights. His first title defense was scheduled for December 2020 against Aljamain Sterling, who was on a five-win streak against tough opponents. However, the fight didn’t happen until March the following year at UFC 259, where the tension between the fighters was palpable. Both fighters exchanged verbal jabs and declared their superiority.
At the press conference, the fighters engaged in a heated stare-down. Although physical altercations were avoided, verbal jabs were thrown as both fighters promised to break each other. The first two rounds were closely contested, with Sterling attempting takedowns which Yan successfully defended. Yan, on the other hand, excelled in striking. The tide turned in the third round as Yan outstruck Sterling. The fourth round also saw Yan dominating Sterling with heavy strikes. During a takedown attempt, Sterling made a mistake that led to Yan kneeing him, resulting in a disqualification. Yan immediately regretted his actions, admitting his mistake.
Sterling became the champion but didn’t celebrate the victory, feeling it wasn’t earned. After the fight, Sterling was taken to the hospital for further examination due to the knee strike. A month later, the new champion underwent neck surgery, adding to the disappointment of Russian fans who believed Yan should have won. Unfortunately, the judges saw it differently.
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