When did Petr Yan start fighting professionally?

Petr Yan is now a household name in the UFC and wider MMA world, however, the Russian had many fights before entering his current organization. Yan made his professional MMA debut against Murad Bakiev in 2014 at Baikal Storm: Irkutsk vs. Omsk in Irkutsk, Russia.

'No Mercy' won the bout via third-round stoppage, with his opponent proving to be an easy intro into the professional MMA scene. Bakiev hasn't fought since 2019 and currently has a 0-4 record in the sport. The Uzbekistan fighter is somewhat of a journeyman, being finsihed by three of his four oppontents while competing in MMA.

The contest was the opening bout at Baikal Storm: Irkutsk vs. Omsk, with both fighters making their professional debuts. However, it's clear to see that despite their similar starting point, the two fighters have had differing success in the sport.

Watch Petr Yan's professional MMA debut here:

Petr Yan also made an impact on his UFC debut, finishing the bout with a first round TKO when taking on Teruto Ishihara. When recounting his successful debut, the Russian stated that his team was slightly concerned about the game plan heading into the contest. 'No Mercy' never doubted his ability to finish the fight early.

"There were concerns regarding the game plan, the tactics against him. But by no means was I thinking, that he was able to surpass me in any way."

Watch 'No Mercy' speak about his UFC debut here:

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How long did Petr Yan remain unbeaten in the UFC?

Heading into his UFC debut, Petr Yan only tasted defeat once against Magomed Magomedov. However, Yan adapted to life in the UFC very well, remaining unbeaten during his first seven organizational outings.

Yan managed to defeat the likes of John Dodson, Urijah Faber and José Aldo during this impressive winning streak. Aljamain Sterling eventually handed the Russian his first UFC defeat, but the loss was controversial due to an illegal knee. Many felt Sterling had overplayed his condition, but nevertheless, this was Yan's first taste of defeat under the UFC's banner.

While attempting to avenge his controversial first defeat since joining the UFC, Petr Yan once again fell short and lost to 'Funk Master' via split decision. The rematch was very close on the scorecards, with two judges scoring the contest 48-47 in favor of Sterling and one of the officials siding with Yan.