Petr Yan: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Features

Marcus McGhee, ranked No. 10, faces unranked Bernardo Sopaj on October 3 at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City At 36 years old, McGhee is 11 years older than his

MMA News / MMA Knockout On SI / September 3

UFC 331 Star Parts Ways With Longtime Head Coach to Try and End Losing Streak

One of the biggest names in the UFC bantamweight division is changing things up in order to try and reignite his career. Considered by many MMA fans to

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / August 27

O'Malley On Yan Rematch Making Most Sense For UFC

Sean O'Malley believes a rematch with bantamweight champion Petr Yan should take priority over potential title shots for Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / August 27

O'Malley Predicts Yan Over Dvalishvili At UFC 333

Sean O'Malley backed Petr Yan to retain his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili when the pair meet for a third time at UFC 333. Yan and Dvalishvili have split two fights — Dvalishvili won the first decisively, Yan reversed the result in the rematch to reclaim the belt — and O'Malley has shared the octagon with both men.

MMA News / Bloody Elbow / August 27

Sean O’Malley reveals who he is leaning towards in UFC 333 Yan vs. Dvalishvili clash

Sean O’Malley knows who he wants to walk out of the UFC 333 co-main event as the bantamweight champion. This coming October 24, the premier promotion returns to Abu Dhabi for a title fight double header at UFC 333.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / August 25

Dvalishvili Ready For Yan Trilogy

UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan is set to co-headline UFC 333 later this year against two-time rival Merab Dvalishvili, with the pair running back one of the biggest rivalries in bantamweight history.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / August 24

Dvalishvili On Yan's Threat At UFC 333

Merab Dvalishvili says he learned a hard lesson about preparation heading into his UFC 333 trilogy with Petr Yan. The former bantamweight champion, who lost his belt to Yan by unanimous decision at UFC 323 last year, told Ariel Helwani that his Russian rival will destroy him again if his training camp isn't managed better this time around.

MMA News / Bloody Elbow / August 9

Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan are reportedly set to defend their UFC belts at UFC 333

Two championship bouts are expected to take place when the UFC returns to the United Arab Emirates. MMA’s premier promotion will bring UFC 333 to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 24.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / August 3

Dvalishvili Reveals Training Switch For Yan Trilogy

Merab Dvalishvili has brought in a private wrestling coach as he prepares for a trilogy bout with Petr Yan. The former UFC bantamweight champion lost his title to Yan via unanimous decision last December after the Russian shut down his wrestling and controlled the standup.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / July 20

Sean O'Malley willing to wait for Petr Yan title rematch

Sean O'Malley is prepared to sit out for a bantamweight title shot if it means securing a rematch with current champion Petr Yan. O'Malley stopped Aiemann Zahabi in the second round at UFC White House earlier this month, putting himself back in the title picture at 135 pounds.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / July 14

Sean O'Malley calls out Petr Yan over bantamweight holdup

Sean O'Malley wants the bantamweight division moving again and he is not hiding his frustration with champion Petr Yan. O'Malley, who earned a statement

Petr Yan Opens Up About Surgery During Recovery Update

Petr Yan took sweet revenge in December at UFC 323, defeating Merab Dvalishvili in their rematch. And the whole UFC community is aware of what a critical surgery Yan underwent afterward.

MMA News / BoxingNews.com / July 6

Russia claims top spot in ESPN MMA world power rankings

Russia has displaced the United States atop ESPN's MMA world power index, driven by the championship runs and contender status of fighters like Petr Yan and Islam Makhachev.

MMA News / Bloody Elbow / June 27

Sean O’Malley warns UFC they are set to risk losing the ‘biggest fight in bantamweight history’

Petr Yan is expected to face Merab Dvalishvili next, but Sean O’Malley sees that as a potentially costly move for the UFC. Fans are still awaiting confirmation of the Russian’s first UFC bantamweight title defense, as it has now been over six months since he returned to the throne.

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MMA News / BoxingNews.com / June 26

Sean O'Malley calls Petr Yan rematch biggest bantamweight fight

Sean O'Malley believes the UFC is sitting on the biggest bantamweight fight it could make — and the promotion risks losing it by booking Petr Yan against Merab Dvalishvili instead.

MMA News / Total Pro Sports / June 16

Petr Yan Claims UFC Protected Sean O’Malley With Easier White House Opponent

Sean O’Malley ended the knockout drought that had been hanging over him since 2023. The former bantamweight champion put away Aiemann Zahabi with a knockout in the final minute of the second round at UFC Freedom 250.

MMA News / EssentiallySports / June 16

Petr Yan Accuses UFC of Protecting Sean O’Malley After White House Callout

Sean O’Malley may have made the biggest mistake of his career by calling out Petr Yan. ‘Suga’ Sean, of course, defeated Aiemann Zahabi via second-round knockout at UFC Freedom 250 on Sunday at the White House.

MMA News / UFC on ClutchPoints / June 4

Marcus McGhee vs. John Yannis prediction, odds, pick for UFC Vegas 118

It’s time for another prediction and pick inside UFC Vegas 118 as we take a look at this upcoming Prelim in the Bantamweight (135) Division. MMA Lab’s Marcus McGhee will take on last-minute replacement John Yannis of Texas.

MMA News / Total Pro Sports / June 3

Who Is Marcus McGhee? Meet the Former Skateboarder Seeking Redemption After Petr Yan Loss

Marcus McGhee’s path to the UFC Octagon is far from the typical MMA origin story. Before he started fighting for the biggest MMA promotion in the world, “The Maniac” spent his youth completely immersed in skate culture.

MMA News / EssentiallySports / January 29

Petr Yan Issues Medical Update After Being Under the Knife for 9 Hours

Petr Yan’s road back to the Octagon just took a detour through a hospital room, and it wasn’t a short one. The reigning UFC bantamweight champion recently revealed that he underwent major lumbar surgery that kept him under anesthesia for nine hours.

MMA News / Total Pro Sports / January 12

Sean O’Malley Calls Petr Yan a 'Scary' and Highly Skilled Fighter in Candid Praise

Sean O’Malley may be one of the UFC’s most polarizing stars, but when it comes to recognizing elite talent, “Sugar” keeps it real. The former bantamweight champion recently took a moment to praise Petr Yan, calling the Russian a “scary” and highly skilled fighter.

MMA News / MMA Knockout On SI / December 29

UFC Champion Petr Yan targets Sean O'Malley rematch for major UFC event in 2026

Petr Yan apparently wants to avenge his controversial loss to Sean O’Malley as part of the UFC’s planned White House event next year. Currently on a four-fight

MMA News / Yardbarker / December 5

Predictions for the UFC 323 main card

The last pay-per-view of the year, and of the foreseeable future due to the UFC deal with Paramount, is this week and has some amazing fights. Here are predictions for how the main card of UFC 323 will go.

Merab Dvalishvili heavily featured in UFC 323 rematch with Petr Yan

MMA News / UFC on ClutchPoints / December 4

Merab Dvalishvili vs. Petr Yan 2 prediction, odds, pick for UFC 323

UFC 323 has reached the Main Event of the evening as fans will be treated to a high-level rematch for the Bantamweight (135) Championship title. Current champion Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia will welcome Russia’s No.

MMA News / EssentiallySports / December 3

Why Is Petr Yan Called ‘No Mercy’? Origin and Meaning Behind the Nickname

Petr Yan has never been the biggest bantamweight, the loudest, or even the flashiest. Yet as he enters UFC 323 to challenge Merab Dvalishvili again, he remains one of the most feared technicians in the division.

MMA News / Empire Sports Media / July 29, 2025

What’s next for Petr Yan after UFC Abu Dhabi?

This past Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Abu Dhabi, we saw a very interesting matchup in the bantamweight division. Former champion Petr Yan (19-5) was taking a decent step back in terms of ranked competition as he took on 12th ranked Marcus McGhee (10-2).

MMA News / MMA Weekly / July 26, 2025

Petr Yan decisions Marcus McGhee in UFC Abu Dhabi co-main event

The UFC Abu Dhabi co-main event featured a bantamweight bout that could have shook up the rankings. Former champion and No. 3 ranked Petr Yan took on rising contender No.

MMA News / MMA Knockout On SI / April 9, 2025

Petr Yan calls out UFC bogeyman for title fight eliminator

'No Mercy' by name, no mercy by nature. Ex-UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan is on the warpath following his two-fight winning streak. Yan recouped with back-to-back wins after enduring three losses in a row, managing to overcome an all-time fall from grace after losing his title by disqualification in 2021.