"What a scrap!" - Aljamain Sterling, Alexander Volkanovski, and others react as Petr Yan secures decision against Song Yadong in impressive comeback

Petr Yan clawed his way back into the bantamweight title picture with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Song Yadong in the opening bout of UFC 299's main card. The win snapped a three-fight skid for Yan. It also marks a significant comeback for Yan, who had suffered three consecutive losses before this fight.

Fellow fighters took to social media to praise both fighters for their performance. Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling acknowledged the pressure on Yan and praised both fighters for an exciting contest:

"What a scrap! The amount of pressure on Yan, I could only imagine. Song looked so good in that first RD but maybe that wrestling exchange drained him more for the later RDs. Close fight, Great fight! #UFC299"

Former featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski highlighted Yan's resilience:

"@PetrYanUFC hurt his leg in the 1st round and came back to win last two rounds 👏 #ufc299."

Middleweight champ Dricus du Plessis also took to his social media handle to congratulate the winner, writing:

"What a high level fight WOW"

Fellow undefeated contender Umar Nurmagomedov also congratulated the Russian and called for a showdown in August:

"My congratulations Peter, a good working victory. August 3 Me against Peter or me against Cory"

Check out some of the fighters' reactions to Petr Yan's win below:

Fellow fighters'' react to Petr Yan's win against Song Yadong

The first round began slow, with Song Yadong initially utilizing takedown attempts and finding success with punches when Yan reacted to his feints. However, Yan found his rhythm as the fight progressed, connecting with cleaner strikes and peppering Song with a consistent jab.

Despite Song's early takedown success and impressive speed, Yan's pressure and improved striking proved decisive. A well-timed takedown in the later rounds, coupled with ground and pound strikes, solidified Yan's dominance.

This win reignites Yan's title aspirations. Despite the recent setbacks, he remains a force to be reckoned with in the bantamweight division. His impressive performance against Song might position him for a fight against the top contenders at 135 pounds.