UFC 267: Petr Yan vs Cory Sandhagen- Prediction and Analysis

The co-main event for UFC 267 sees former champion Petr Yan go head-to-head against Cory Sandhagen for the interim bantamweight strap. The fight was originally scheduled to be the first title defense of undisputed champion Aljamain Sterling against Yan. However, ‘The Funkmaster’ did not receive medical clearance to fight and was forced to withdraw from the contest.

The aforementioned interim title fight is peculiar in that both men are contesting for gold after coming off losses. ‘No Mercy’ Yan was disqualified after landing an illegal knee to a downed opponent when he faced Sterling at UFC 259. As for Sandhagen, he recently lost a controversial split decision to T.J. Dillashaw in the latter’s return to the UFC.

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UFC 267: Petr Yan vs Cory Sandhagen

Before losing to Aljamain Sterling, Petr Yan was on an impressive 10-fight win streak. He defeated the likes of Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber in his recent bouts, and fans want to see him take on fighters in their prime. ‘The Sandman’ certainly fits that bill, and he’s sure to bring forth a comprehensive game plan to get one over the Russian.

Petr Yan is well-rounded no matter where the fight ends up, however, he does some of his best work in close range. The 15-2 fighter is able to shoot for the legs and work his way towards a dominant position in a short time span. He’ll have to be wary about flying knees upon entry as it has become Cory Sandhagen’s signature weapon.

Cory Sandhagen has only lost to the very best that the UFC has to offer in his 14-3 career thus far. He has gone through multiple staples in the bantamweight division including Frankie Edgar, Marlon Moraes, Raphael Assuncao, just to name a few. Additionally, he’s managed to stop most of the aforementioned fighters viciously and become a fan-favorite finisher in the process.

Sandhagen exposed a deficiency in his game during his bout against Dillashaw as he was rather easily controlled against the fence. That plays right into Petr Yan’s wheelhouse and Sandhagen will have to make sure he’s explosive in close range. Not to mention, keeping the spinning attacks to a minimum against a grappler would be a prudent strategy.

Prediction: Petr Yan to claim a second-round submission victory

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