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Petr Yan is one fight away from achieving his dream of becoming a UFC Champion. After Henry Cejudo declared his retirement, Dana White was asked about who should fight for the vacant title. While he didn't give another name, he stated with certainty that Petr Yan should be fighting for the belt.
Since Jose Aldo was originally booked to fight for the title at UFC 250, the company felt it was best to book Aldo vs Petr Yan for the vacant title at Fight Island. The No.3 ranked Russian Bantamweight spoke to BJPENN.com and spoke about how it feels to fight a big name like Jose Aldo, who also happens to be his "last obstacle":
“I’m very happy to have this opportunity, I’m one step away from my goal of being a UFC champion. I’m very excited,” Petr Yan said to BJPENN.com. It’s great to be part of such a historical event on Fight Island during the pandemic. Jose is a big name and achieved a lot in this sport. I respect him a lot, but it won’t affect me in any way. July 11 he will be just an obstacle from my goal. I will make the most of this opportunity.”
When asked about fighting Henry Cejudo, Petr Yan stated that his goal is to fight for the title and not Triple C specifically. However, he stated that should Cejudo decide to come back, they can face off to determine who the better fighter is. As of now, his priority is Jose Aldo and winning the title in dominant fashion:
“Our styles match up very well, I believe it will be a very exciting fight. I will control the fight and dictate how this fight will go,” Petr Yan said. “It will be my pace, my distance, and my terms. Right now, I don’t think about my legacy. I am just 100 percent focused on winning the title in the most dominant fashion.”
Petr Yan's final hurdle
Petr Yan is considered the favorite to win the vacant UFC Bantamweight Championship. He last defeated Urijah Faber at UFC 245 and will be expected to hand Jose Aldo his third loss in a row.
However, one can never count out Jose Aldo and we must remind fans that his loss to Marlon Moraes was regarded as a controversial one.
