Petr Yan finally can call himself a defending champion after UFC 333, and the opportunity is ripe to explore his true greatness.
Yan (21-5 MMA, 13-4 UFC) was able to push just a touch harder than Merab Dvalishvili
(21-4 MMA, 14-4 UFC) when it mattered most in Saturday's thrilling bantamweight title trilogy bout in Abu Dhabi, and he was rewarded by getting the upper hand in the rivalry and leaving with gold.It was an elite tactical performance by Yan, who said he allowed Dvalishvili to expend valuable energy in the first two rounds before taking the final three frames and a unanimous decision on the scorecards. It's a risky strategy if true, but Yan is as cerebral is it gets, and that's his explanation for the slow start.
He got his hand raised
in the end, and he now officially can move on from the demons of his past. Yan became the only fighter in UFC history to lose a belt by disqualification against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259 in March 2021. It ended his title reign in a flash on his first attempted defense, and it took some time to get everything back on track.
He's at the top of the mountain again, and with the Dvalishvili series behind him, is staring down the pipe of one of the biggest rematches in the history of the division against Sean O'Malley (20-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) next.
Some will say it's Song Yadong (24-9-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) who should be getting the title shot and a chance to avenge his own loss against Yan from UFC 299 in March 2024. He is worthy, but O'Malley also beat him in January at UFC 324, albeit in a debated decision.
Still, Yan vs. O'Malley 2 has been looming since "Sugar" won a controversial split decision at UFC 280 in October 2022. It was a fantastic fight the first time around, and it would be even better now with five rounds and higher stakes.
Any other next title pairing in this division would be a disappointment, frankly, so here's hoping everyone can get on the same page and deliver what's arguably one of the most compelling fights that UFC can make across the roster.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Petr Yan after UFC 333 title defense?
