Everything is in place for a showdown between two former UFC champions in China at UFC Fight Night. At the UFC Macau weigh-ins, Petr Yan weighed 135.5 pounds on the scale. Deiveson Figueiredo, on the other hand, has registered championship weight for his fourth outing in his new division. ‘No Mercy’ is ready to make his comeback battle unforgettable; after all, the former bantamweight champion hasn’t won two games in a row since 2020, so he’s hoping for a win to go back into title contention. However, with a serious knee injury from his last fight, the Russian would face a mammoth job. So how is his injury now?

Pressured by three consecutive UFC losses, Petr Yan came into UFC 299 with the need to get back to the win column. And he did so in March, against Song Yadong via a unanimous decision victory. The positive news ended there for the former bantamweight champion who suffered multiple injuries during the fight, the most serious being to his knee, for which ‘No Mercy’ had to undergo surgery.

Yan’s manager, Daniel Rubenstein, confirmed that he tore his ACL during his bout at UFC 299 and required 9-12 months of rehabilitation following surgery. However, only eight months after his injury, ‘No Mercy’ is making his return. Despite the short recuperation time, the UFC fighter told SHAK MMA that he feels ready to fight and was looking forward to winning it. ‘No Mercy’ said, “You know what’s actually been said about my injury already, so I don’t want to get too much into it. I just showed that I could win no matter what. Not only in this fight but in other fights too.” Yan further added, “I’ve shown it many times. I just showed that I’m better than Song (Yadong).”

Coming off a much-needed victory, Petr Yan is emerging as the favorite for his fight with Deiveson Figueiredo, a two-time flyweight champion. Bookmakers have set Yan as the -278 favorite for his five-round fight with the ‘Deus da Guerra’ in the main event of UFC Macau, while Figueiredo, who is currently going through a streak of three consecutive victories, comes into the event as a +225 underdog. However, he will have to be careful about his knee, especially when it has also caused him trouble in the past as well.

How a knee strike dethroned Petr Yan as champion

Aljamain Sterling became the UFC’s bantamweight champion back at UFC 259 in a way that surprised him and shocked fans. The then-Russian champion Petr Yan was dominating the contest from the opening bell. However, in the fourth round, he threw an illegal knee strike to a grounded Sterling that had the American fighter nearly knocked out. Sterling could no longer continue and hence won the championship by disqualification.

The challenger had won the championship, but not in the way he wanted, so he threw the belt on the floor and then cried on the canvas of the Octagon. What seemed like a victory for ‘No Mercy’ throughout the bout, changed in a fraction of a second with one wrong move. Sterling, visibly tired in the fourth round, was being punished by Petr Yan. When Sterling was trying to take Yan down, he was hit in the face with his opponent’s knee, while his knee was touching the canvas.

Referee Mark Smith had told Yan that his opponent was a “downed fighter,” so the Russian should not have thrown the knee. After the blow, Sterling received the appropriate time to recover, but the fighter, badly injured, could no longer continue. One wrong move caused the Russian fighter to lose his championship belt.

With his upcoming fight against Figueiredo at UFC Macau, Petr Yan has a chance to walk back into title contention. What do you think? Will Yan be able to win the fight against the dangerous two-time flyweight champion? Let us know in the comments.