5 potential opponents for Petr Yan following his setback at UFC 273

#4. Petr Yan vs. Cory Sandhagen

Could a rematch between Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen work?

2021 gave UFC fans a number of excellent fights. One that definitely stood out above most of the rest was Petr Yan’s wild interim bantamweight title bout with Cory Sandhagen in October.

The two talented strikers went toe-to-toe for five rounds at UFC 267. While Yan came away with his hand raised, the fight was remarkably close and saw both men land some hellacious blows on each other. Essentially, it was a modern classic.

With that considered, why not run the fight back and make ‘The Sandman’ Yan’s first opponent after his loss to Aljamain Sterling?

The UFC has never been afraid to make quick rematches. While Sandhagen has not fought since his loss to ‘No Mercy’, it’s likely that he wouldn’t turn the bout down as it’d be a chance for him to avenge one of his most painful losses.

Given the close nature of their first encounter, it’d be a huge risk for Yan to fight Sandhagen again, particularly if he’s got eyes on claiming another shot at Sterling.

However, given ‘The Sandman’ is currently ranked at No.4 in the division, it might be the bout that makes the most sense in order to give ‘No Mercy’ a path back to another title fight.

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#3. Petr Yan vs. Marlon Vera or Rob Font

If he can get past Rob Font, could Marlon Vera face Petr Yan?

The next big bantamweight fight on the horizon in the UFC pits Marlon Vera against Rob Font. It’s probably fair to say that the winner of this clash – which is set to headline the Fight Night event on April 30th – should be considered a bonafide title contender.

With Aljamain Sterling looking at a meeting with TJ Dillashaw in the near future, either Vera or Font will require a big fight to follow their clash. Perhaps a bout with Petr Yan could make sense for the victor.

Regardless of who comes out on top, a fight with Yan could definitely produce fireworks. Font’s lanky striking style could prove to be a tricky test for ‘No Mercy’, who would come in with a 4.5” reach disadvantage. Vera’s sheer aggression in all areas could mean a potential clash with Yan could be a classic as well.

Yan would undoubtedly be favored to beat both of these fighters, particularly as they both hold recent losses to Jose Aldo, who was slaughtered by the Russian in their meeting back in 2020.

However, so-called MMA math doesn’t always work. Giving either Font or Vera a crack at ‘No Mercy’ would probably make sense for all parties involved, particularly as a win over the Russian could propel either man into a title shot.