On Saturday at UFC 333, Petr Yan again showed why he can be called the greatest UFC bantamweight of all time.
Early in a tough matchup against former division king Merab Dvalishvili, the Russian found himself behind on the scorecards two rounds to zip. However, he did not let the deficit deter him. Over the final three frames of a classic 135-pound title fight, Yan shut down his foe’s relentless wrestling, worked him over on the feet, and was able to score a unanimous decision win in a classic trilogy bout between a pair of weight class greats.
Following the first title defense of his second reign, let’s look at four next fight ideas for Petr Yan.
Sean O’Malley
Former champion Sean O’Malley has won two straight and has been angling for a title opportunity in 2027. Furthermore, he has an interesting case because he does own a win over the current titleholder. A rematch between the two talented strikers would be an easy sell for the UFC.
Yadong Song
Throughout his career, Yadong Song has proven he is very talented. However, he had trouble getting on a serious run and getting into the title conversation. But he finally scored the breakthrough victory he badly needed in August over Umar Nurmagomedov. The win changed a lot of opinions about the Chinese star.
The idea of Song trying to avenge his 2024 loss to Yan, especially if it can happen in China, could be a big money fight.
Alexander Volkanovski
Over the last decade, we have seen many UFC champions look to join legendary company by moving up in weight to go for a second title. If Yan is not intrigued by the options at 135 pounds and would like to cut less weight, MMA historians would certainly welcome a super-fight between future Hall of Famers in a move to featherweight to take on weight class icon Alexander Volkanovski.
David Martinez
While it’s not the sexiest option, a case could be made for rising star David Martinez. The Mexican has won four straight in the UFC, 11 straight overall. His recent wins over Dan Ige and Marlon Vera show he is a legit top-10 fighter at bantamweight, and he could certainly be an interesting test for Yan.