Petr Yan finally can call himself a defending champion after UFC 333, and the alternative is ripe to discover his true greatness.
Yan (21-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC) was in a position to push just a contact tougher than Merab Dvalishvili (21-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) when it mattered most in Saturday’s thrilling bantamweight title trilogy bout in Abu Dhabi, and he was rewarded by getting the higher hand in the rivalry and leaving with gold.
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It was an elite tactical efficiency by Yan, who said he allowed Dvalishvili to expend helpful vitality in the first two rounds before taking the ultimate three frames and a unanimous resolution on the scorecards. It’s a dangerous strategy if true, but Yan is as cerebral is it gets, and that’s his clarification for the gradual begin.
He got his hand raised in the finish, and he now formally can transfer on from the demons of his previous. Yan grew to become the only fighter in UFC historical past to lose a belt by disqualification against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259 in March 2021. It ended his title reign in a flash on his first tried protection, and it took some time to get everything back on monitor.
He’s at the prime of the mountain again, and with the Dvalishvili sequence behind him, is staring down the pipe of one of the largest rematches in the historical past of the division against Sean O’Malley (20-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) next.
Some will say it’s Song Yadong (24-9-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) who should be getting the title shot and a probability to avenge his own loss against Yan from UFC 299 in March 2024. He is worthy, but O’Malley also beat him in January at UFC 324, albeit in a debated resolution.
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Still, Yan vs. O’Malley 2 has been looming since “Sugar” won a controversial cut up resolution at UFC 280 in October 2022. It was a improbable combat the first time around, and it would be even higher now with 5 rounds and increased stakes.
Any other next title pairing in this division would be a disappointment, frankly, so here’s hoping everyone can get on the same web page and ship what’s arguably one of the most compelling fights that UFC can make across the roster.
This article initially appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Petr Yan after UFC 333 title protection?
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