Petr Yan opens up on battling injury ahead of Merab Dvalishvili clash in 2023

Petr Yan entered the octagon for the second time in 2024 last month as he defeated Deiveson Figueiredo via unanimous decision in a dominant performance in the main event of UFC Fight Night 248. It marked his second win since suffering a unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC Fight Night 221 last March.

'No Mercy' recently revealed that he had a torn shoulder muscle during the loss to the current champion. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the No. 3-ranked bantamweight stated, via a translator:

"One thing I can say for sure is that when I fought Merab, I just fought him with one arm."

When asked what was wrong with his arm, Yan elaborated, adding:

"I had a torn shoulder muscle so I couldn't punch with my right hand at all."

Check out Petr Yan's comments on facing Merab Dvalishvili while injured below:

Yan added that he has no regrets about going through with the bout. 'The Machine' was able to land 11 of a UFC record 49 takedown attempts. The No. 3-ranked bantamweight called for a rematch and the opportunity to challenge Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title after his unanimous decision victory over Figueiredo at UFC Fight Night 248.

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Petr Yan hopes for rematch with Sean O'Malley if he doesn't receive title shot

While Petr Yan is hoping to fight for the bantamweight title next, he may have to wait as Umar Nurmagomedov may be next in line to challenge Merab Dvalishvili. 'No Mercy' recently revealed that, if he doesn't receive a title shot, he wants to face Sean O'Malley in a rematch of their UFC 280 clash.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the No. 3-ranked bantamweight stated:

"I would lean towards a rematch with Sean O'Malley, but I don't know what's going on with him. He's out for nine to 12 months so maybe he got pregnant... I really want five rounds, too. I believe it should be a good main event or featured bout on some big event. So, I think five rounds and it will be very interesting if it's going to happen."

Check out Petr Yan's full comments on facing Sean O'Malley below:

Yan claimed that he already beat O'Malley and was more interested in a rematch with Dvalishvili. While 'Suga' won their UFC 280 bout via split decision, 'No Mercy' has been adamant that he believes he deserved to get his hand raised. The result was seen as controversial with fans, fighters, and media members expressing their belief that the judges got things wrong.