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Petr Yan, former champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the bantamweight category, after three defeats in a row disappeared from the information field for a long time. However, having gathered his thoughts, he got in touch and announced his readiness to hold the next fight in March, at the 299th promotion tournament. The event will be headlined by the current division champion Sean O'Malley and the completely undeserving “title” Marlon Vera.
It's time to speculate on what kind of opponent the Siberian could get, who at all costs needs to break the bad streak in his career.
Song Yadong
The Chinese (No. 7 bantamweight) is said to be the most obvious option for Peter (No. 5). Simply because other rivals at the top of the rankings are either busy or don’t see the point in such a poster. But Song Yadong is loaded! He wanted to fight in December, but Yan did not take the fight due to injury. Having recovered, the Russian will be able to arrange a fight with the same tough striker (only one defeat in the last five fights, and that was by the doctor’s decision) and in case of a clear victory, count on a contender’s fight.
But here's the bad luck: Yadong will have a meeting with Chris Gutierrez next weekend. It is necessary to confidently pass the American without damage, and challenge Yan.
Winner of the fight Font VS Figueredo
Former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueredo will make his bantamweight debut this weekend. The Brazilian will be welcomed into a new category by American Rob Font, who occupies eighth place in the ranking. The winner of the fight in Austin will come close to the top 5, so the fight with Yan will be more than a worthy reward for the performance on the night of December 3, Moscow time.
Pedro Muñoz
The Brazilian and the Russian have a long-standing conflict. In 2019, they were both striving for the belt: Yan challenged Munoz to a fight, calling him a “dirty animal,” and Pedro sent the daring knocker to hell and flattered himself with hopes of a more eminent opponent. But the UFC bet on Peter: in 2020 he fought for the title, and Pedro began to give up.
Dominic Cruz
A great option, the probability of losing fluctuates around zero: the former champion, the famous Cruz (No. 9), remains outside the octagon for almost a year and a half after a terrible finish in the fight with Vera. Then the Ecuadorian knocked out the legend by breaking the American's nose with a kick. But the Dominator has a big name, which will definitely play to Yan’s advantage in the pursuit of the lost title. UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber gave Peter a chance to fight for the belt. This time success will be a springboard into the top 3.
Cody Garbrandt
The biggest name in the selection! And undoubtedly the best opponent a Russian fighter could get right now. Garbrandt is not ranked, but just like the potential fight with Cruz, ranking here has absolutely no meaning. Cody, once the league's top prospect, now has five losses (four by stoppage) since 2017.
But even after so many years, the hype does not leave the fan-favorite American.
True, Garbrandt already has a fight scheduled for December: on the 16th at UFC 296 in Las Vegas he will share the octagon with his compatriot Brian Kelleher.
The situation is the same as with Yadong. If Garbrandt wins quickly, he may return in the spring (in extreme cases, Jan will be asked to wait until April-May). If the fight goes the full distance or Cody loses again, then the meeting with Ian will become irrelevant.
Poll
Which option do you see as the most likely?
Fight with a dangerous Chinese54.5%
Meeting with Font or Figueredo9.1%
Showdown with an experienced Brazilian0%
Fight with MMA legend Cruz9.1%
Fight with the star Garbrandt27.3%
Vote
Voted:11
December 1, 07:40
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