Petr Yan comes clean on accepting Marcus McGhee fight despite being "next in line for the title"

Petr Yan has picked the hard road to a title shot and signed on to face unranked contender Marcus McGhee in July. Most fighters in Yan’s position would sit comfortably and wait for their title shot.

After a run of three tough losses to Aljamain Sterling, Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili, Yan has rebuilt momentum with back-to-back wins over Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo. He could have campaigned for a higher-ranked opponent. Instead, he chose activity over politics.

Shedding light on his decision in an interview with Gorilla Energy, Yan said:

"I was told that I can wait and I'll be next in line for the title, but I don't want to wait and I don't want to be an inactive fighter. I want to fight twice this year, if possible. I just wanted to fight in July, they found me an opponent, and I'm ready."

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Check out Petr Yan's comments below:

Expand Tweet

Yan’s path to being crowned the bantamweight champion is still fresh in the minds of MMA fans. He stopped Jose Aldo by TKO to win the vacant title in 2020, then lost it by disqualification in a controversial finish against Sterling.

He bounced back to win the interim belt against Cory Sandhagen but came up short in the rematch against Sterling. He went on to lose the title eliminator clash against Sean O'Malley at UFC 280 by a controversial split decision.

Petr Yan takes aim at Sean O’Malley after UFC 316 defeat

Petr Yan wasted no time firing shots at Sean O’Malley after the American’s loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316. O’Malley was submitted in the third round after being overwhelmed by Dvalishvili’s relentless pressure and grappling.

Yan, who lost a controversial decision to O’Malley in 2022, didn’t hold back in his response. He took to X and wrote:

“This is what happens when you’re handed things you didn’t earn. Back in line, buddy @SugaSeanMMA”

Check out Petr Yan's X post below:

Expand Tweet

Besides being one of the most exciting fighters on the roster, Yan holds the record for the third most significant strikes (1236) and the third most total strikes landed in (1628) in UFC bantamweight division history.

About the author

Abhishek Ramadasan Nambiar is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. As a long-time practitioner of various martial arts, seeing the fusion of different forms into a quest for the ultimate fighter felt both primal and profoundly technical. At Sportskeeda, Abhishek's primary goal is to offer a fresh and distinctive angle through his writing, aiming to provide readers with more than just the basics of MMA. Along with keeping them informed about the latest developments in the sport, he strives to offer valuable insights that enhance their understanding of MMA.

When not writing about MMA, Abhishek often spends time reviewing music or devouring Brian Evanson's and Blake Crouch's work. Sign up to receive news, regular updates, and exclusive coverage.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Abhishek Nambiar