“I Want to Beat Up TJ Dillashaw”- Petr Yan Rejects Next Match Against Aljamain Sterling

Usually, UFC fighters who conquer the interim title try to unify it with the current champion for a higher prize. However, the UFC interim bantamweight champion Petr Yan wants to walk a different path.

‘No Mercy’ expressed zero interest in fighting the bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, as he believes that ‘Funk Master’ is no challenge for him and he beat him already. Instead, the former champion expressed his desire to fight TJ Dillashaw next.

While talking to BT Sport post fighter, Yan said, “You know it’s probably up to UFC and my management team. I have never said no to a fight, but I already beat Sterling. And I wanna move on and I want new challenges. So I want to beat up Dillashaw.”

The 28-year-old stunned the fights fans at UFC 267 with his amazing performance inside the octagon. ‘No Mercy’ engaged in a five-round war against one of the best from the division, Cory Sandhagen, for the bantamweight interim title.

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However, after the victory, his denial of fighting for the bantamweight gold came as a shock to the UFC fans. Many believe that the gold strap was just stripped away from the Russian fighter and they wanted him to hold the bantamweight gold once again. However, it is all in the hands of the UFC officials as they decide what fight to set next.

How Did Petr Yan Lose His Bantamweight Gold Strap

The Russian bantamweight Petr Yan has an amazing 16-2 professional fighting record under his name. He remained undefeated for seven fights after his debut in the UFC and is one of the most dominant fighters in the division.

‘No Mercy’ became the bantamweight champion after defeating Jose Aldo at UFC 251. He later faced Aljamain Sterling for his first title defense at UFC 259. Yan completely dominated Sterling in the five-round, gruesome battle. However, one mistake cost him his bantamweight gold.

Yan landed a vicious knee to the head of Sterling in the fourth round while he was on the mat. This move is considered illegal in the UFC. Hence, the Russian native was disqualified from the bout, and ‘Funk master’ became the new UFC champion.

Several people demanded a fair result from the bout. Hence, the promotion set up a title rematch at UFC 267. Unfortunately, Sterling suffered a neck injury and pulled out from the rematch. This came as another blow to Yan.

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However, Cory Sandhagen stepped up to replace Sterling for an interim title fight. Now, as ‘No Mercy’ has won the fight, it will surely excite the fight fans to see what is next for him.

Should Petr Yan fight TJ Dillashaw or aim for the bantamweight gold in his next bout? What are your thoughts? Let us know the comments.