3 potential replacement opponents for Petr Yan at UFC 267

Petr Yan's hopes of rematching Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title have been dealt another major blow. According to MMA Fighting, Sterling has been ruled out of his fight against Yan at UFC 267 as a result of an injury.

The UFC is apparently looking to book an interim title fight between Petr Yan and another contender instead.

Yan has thus far been a dominant force in the bantamweight division. The Russian lost his title to Sterling via DQ for an illegal strike in a fight he was clearly winning. The rematch between Yan and Sterling didn't immediately come to fruition because 'Funkmaster' underwent neck surgery following the fight. Their second clash was later booked for UFC 267.

Now that the rematch isn't happening anytime soon, who should Petr Yan fight next? There are a host of contenders in the bantamweight division who could potentially step in to replace Sterling.

Here are some fighters who could face Yan for the interim title at UFC 267.

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#3. Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo

Jose Aldo is regarded as one of the greatest fighters to have ever stepped inside the octagon. The Brazilian has tons of experience under his belt and is still very sharp inside the octagon, as we saw in his last fight. Aldo moved down to the bantamweight division following his loss to reigning featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.

The beginning of Aldo's stint at 135 pounds wasn't ideal. In his divisional debut, Aldo lost to Marlon Moraes via split decision. His next scrap was a title fight against Petr Yan. Aldo got dominated in the fight before being put away in the final round. However, the former featherweight champ has bounced back in style with back-to-back wins against Marlon Vera and Pedro Munhoz.

Aldo is ranked No.5 in the division. He looks in good shape and now that he has won a few fights at bantamweight, 'Junior' will likely be far more dangerous than he was in his first fight with the Russian.

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#2. Petr Yan vs. Sean O'Malley

An interim title fight against Petr Yan would be an incredible opportunity for surging bantamweight Sean O'Malley. Despite being 6-1 in the UFC, 'Suga' remains unranked because he hasn't fought a top-contender yet. However, with a win against Yan, O'Malley could jump the queue and become an instant title challenger.

His popularity would also skyrocket and he'd immediately turn into the superstar that he's tipped to become. Fighting in the co-main event of a blockbuster UFC pay-per-view is just what the doctor ordered for the knockout artist. Following news of Sterling's withdrawal from UFC 267, O'Malley has even offered to step in as a replacement.

Expect a thrilling contest if Petr Yan and Sean O'Malley enter the octagon together at UFC 267.

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#1. Petr Yan vs. Cory Sandhagen

Cory Sandhagen is one of the most exciting fighters in the bantamweight division. Lock him inside the cage with Petr Yan and we are bound to witness a war between two very dangerous fighters. Although he recently dropped a split decision against T.J. Dillashaw, Sandhagen's stock only rose following the fight.

His world-class striking was on full display against Dillashaw, who is a former champ himself. The No.3-ranked bantamweight's spectacular knockout of Frankie Edgar is still fresh in the minds of fight fans across the globe. Sandhagen has seven wins in nine fights in the UFC and should definitely be involved in the title picture.

It makes sense to book a fight between Petr Yan and Sandhagen for the interim title. Both fighters deserve a crack at the 135-pound throne and a win for either man would afford them the opportunity to do exactly that.