Fighter nicknames are synonymous with their in-ring personas and help with a fighter’s marketability. The UFC has been home to many nicknames, such as ‘The Iceman’, ‘The Count’, ‘No Love’ and ‘The Assassin Baby’, to name a few. However, one fighter who strikes fear in the heart of his opponent through his relentless fighting style is Petr Yan, and he has an apt nickname.

With a moniker like ‘No Mercy’, Petr Yan went on to win the UFC undisputed and interim bantamweight championships. The Russian fighter has beaten top names like John Dodson, Urijah Faber, Jose Aldo, and Cory Sandhagen. A man of few words, Yan lets his fighting do most of the talking, and his fighting style definitely reflects his terrifying in-ring moniker. But is that why he’s called ‘No Mercy’? As the former two-time bantamweight champion gets ready for his next fight, let’s take a deep dive and learn about his nickname and fighting mindset. 

Why is Petr Yan called ‘No Mercy’?

The exact reason why Yan is called ‘No Mercy’ is still a mystery, but it’s definitely linked to his habit of finishing his fights. In a conversation with the UFC, Yan once said, “Well it’s just my style of fighting. I’m not forcing the finish, but if I see the opportunity to finish the fight I will take it. And if my future opponents are getting intimidated while looking at my fights then so be it, I have my own path and if there’s anyone standing [in] my way – it may end badly for them.”

There was also a time when Yan would show no mercy on the streets. However, with time, he matured as he began spending his time and energy in training. ‘No Mercy’ said, “In the past, I was very aggressive and fierce on the streets, I was spending my energy there. Now I’m a professional, it’s my job, I’ve matured a lot and I understand that I need to put my energy [into] my professional fights. So outside of fighting I’m calm but inside the cage, I’m facing guys who are there to beat me, so I need to be aggressive to break them physically and sometimes even mentally.”

Petr Yan walks around with a quiet resolve but that resolve transforms into violence when he enters the Octagon. ‘No Mercy’ is someone who cannot be counted out as his only losses in the promotion came at the hands of the three divisional champions after him; Aljamain Sterling, Sean O’Malley, and Merab Dvalishvili. With 17 impressive wins in his career and five losses to high-level opponents, the moniker ‘No Mercy’ is not lost on the Russian ex-UFC champion.

Petr Yan definitely lives up to his nickname

Yan is certainly a man who loves to finish his fights, as seen in his seven wins via KO/TKO, and one via submission. The trend of finishing fights began from his amateur mixed martial arts career. Competing in the Cup of Russia 2014, the bantamweight fighter won two back-to-back bouts via KO. The trend continued when ‘No Mercy’ shifted to the professional realm and fought under the banner of Baikal Storm. Needless to say, he won via a knockout. 

When ‘No Mercy’ entered Absolute Championship Berkut in 2015, his second bout became his only submission victory via guillotine choke. The lone submission win of his career came in just 47 seconds at ACB 19. His next win came via KO in the first round, when he competed at CSFR. After ending four fights by decision, he put his ACB career to an end with a spectacular knockout at ACB 71. 

But what shocked the fighting community was the skills Yan showed when he knocked Teruto Ishihara by punches in the first round of his debut in the UFC. The fight against Douglas Silva de Andrade ended up with a corner stoppage win for Yan. However, when he faced Urijah Faber back in UFC 245, he showed absolutely no mercy when he head-kicked Faber and knocked him out. But his true strength was showcased in the fight against Jose Aldo at UFC 251. It was the bout that got him the bantamweight belt as he defeated Aldo by fifth-round ground and pound. 

Now, ‘No Mercy’ is set to fight another former champion, Deiveson Figueiredo, at UFC Fight Night 248. No doubt, Yan will try to bring his brand of ‘No Mercy’ to the Octagon in China. But will he be able to defeat ‘Deus da Guerra’, with a finish no less? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.