5 potential opponents for Adrian Yanez following his latest UFC win

#4. Adrian Yanez vs. Sean O’Malley

A number of people have called for a fight between Sean O'Malley and Adrian Yanez

One of the biggest bantamweight fights on the horizon is set to take place at UFC 276. Sean O’Malley faces off with Pedro Munhoz in what promises to be the toughest fight of the former’s career thus far.

Win or lose, though, ‘The Suga Show’ could make for an excellent opponent for Adrian Yanez’s next trip to the octagon. In fact, a number of fans – as well as UFC stars such as Belal Muhammad and current bantamweight kingpin Aljamain Sterling – have already called for this fight to be made.

On the face of it, the fight does make plenty of sense. Both men are amongst the best young talent that the 135lbs division has to offer. They both hit extremely hard and carry a lot of power in their hands. They both have a penchant for putting on exciting fights, too.

Yanez himself has already suggested that he wouldn’t mind fighting O’Malley in the near future. He said so in the post-fight press conference that followed his victory this weekend. So, would ‘The Suga Show’ be down for such a fight?

In all honesty, it’s hard to say, as O’Malley has been remarkably picky over who he’s been willing to fight thus far. He seems focused on ensuring that he gets the biggest possible payouts without really stepping up too much.

However, with Yanez on such a hot streak, if the clamour for a bout between he and O’Malley continues, it might be something ‘The Suga Show’ simply can’t ignore – particularly if he loses to Munhoz next month.

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#3. Adrian Yanez vs. Cody Stamann

Cody Stamann could be seen as the best bantamweight outside of the current top fifteen

Another fighter who pulled off a big win at last night’s UFC Fight Night show was Cody Stamann. He switched the lights off on former WEC champion Eddie Wineland in the first round, picking up a $50k performance bonus in the process.

The win isn’t likely to elevate ‘The Spartan’ into the top fifteen at 135lbs, but there’s definitely an argument that he’s the best fighter outside of the rankings right now. This would make him a viable opponent for a prospect like Adrian Yanez.

Essentially, Stamann is a classic gatekeeper. He’s fought a lot of the best fighters at 135lbs. While he hasn’t beaten the majority of them, the experience he’s had against the likes of Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili makes him a very dangerous opponent.

Would Yanez be able to use his explosive style to deal with the strong wrestling and grappling – as well as the underrated striking – of ‘The Spartan’? It’s honestly hard to say.

However, a win over Stamann would prove that Yanez is ready for the very best fighters in the bantamweight division, and that’s clearly what he’s looking for right now. Therefore, this fight – which would be easy to book from a logistical point of view – could make sense.