Petr Yan will square off against Cory Sandhagen in the co-main event of UFC 267 this weekend. The two bantamweights will be fighting for the interim title.
The fight was originally scheduled to be a rematch between 'No Mercy' and Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight throne. However, due to Sterling's inability to compete, 'The Sandman' was brought in and an interim title bout was set up. Let's take a look at how Cory Sandhagen and Petr Yan matchup on paper.
Petr Yan is five feet and seven-and-a-half inches tall. Sandhagen, on the other hand, towers over most of the bantamweights in the UFC. The 29-year-old's height is five feet and 11 inches.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
The pair compete in the bantamweight division, so the limit at the weigh-in will be 135 pounds for both. Although there is no definitive info on their walk-around weight, UFC fighters usually bulk up by between 10 and 30 pounds between weigh-ins and fight night.
Due to his tall height, Cory Sandhagen has a 70-inch reach. 'No Mercy', meanwhile, has a reach of 67 inches.
Both Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen lost their last fights
UFC 267 will mark a rare occasion where both fighters competing for the UFC title are coming off losses. However, both defeats were questioned by many in the MMA community..
Yan's last fight took place at UFC 259 against Sterling. The Russian was in control for the majority of the fight but an unfortunate incident in the fourth round cost Yan the contest.
In the penultimate round, the 28-year-old landed an illegal knee on a downed Sterling, leading to him being disqualified. 'Funk Master' was declared the winner and was crowned the new bantamweight champion.
Cory Sandhagen, meanwhile, fought former two-time champion T.J. Dillashaw in his last fight. The pair delivered a thrilling back-and-forth affair in the UFC Vegas 32 main event.
Although Dillashaw had his hand raised via split decision, many hailed Sandhagen as the rightful victor of the fight.