With Francis Marshall dropping out of a fight with prospect Austin Bashi at UFC Vegas 108, it’s John Yannis stepping in as the short-notice replacement. The Fight Night card has been hit hard by injury, losing one half of its main event as Hyun Sung Park has replacement Amir Albazi against Tatsuro Taira.
John “Angel” Yannis
Standing at five-foot-seven
Fighting at 145 lbs (featherweight)
31-years-old
Fighting out of Floydada, Texas, US
Training out of
A pro record of 9-3
5 KO/TKOs
John Yannis is a fair addition to the UFC roster for a short-notice opportunity. The 31-year-old has been grinding on the regional scene for years, primarily in Fury FC, where he’s faced solid competition. His losses have come against two respected regional talents and one current UFC fighter. Recently, Yannis put together a three-fight win streak, capped off by winning the Fury FC bantamweight title with a victory over former UFC fighter Nick Aguirre.
Yannis’ style is straightforward: he thrives in the pocket and prefers a boxing-heavy approach. While he will occasionally throw kicks from range, his game is built around close-range exchanges. He dips his head from side to side and works high-low combinations effectively, slipping shots and firing back with compact, clean punches. However, that same head movement makes him susceptible to knees and head kicks in MMA, and his predictable combinations leave him vulnerable to more technical strikers. He often lingers in the pocket too long, absorbing unnecessary damage. That’s something that cost him in the Cam Smotherman fight, where he chose to trade with the faster man and paid for it. Yannis has been dropped before, but he’s durable and confident in his chin and power, often winning brawls through attrition.
Defensively, he’s not easy to put away; his lone finish loss came via submission— but he’s not impossible to control. Opponents have had success taking him down, although Yannis typically does well in the initial scramble, using underhooks and circling to stay upright. The bigger issue is that he frequently gives up his back during transitions. While he usually defends the choke well, fighting wrists and using two-on-ones to escape, he loses valuable control time in the process. Only Gabriel Wanderley, a skilled submission artist, has been able to finish him on the mat.
At the UFC level, especially in a stacked bantamweight division, Yannis’ game is limited. His grit, toughness, and power are commendable, but he lacks the depth and layers required to succeed consistently at this level. He often fights on thin margins, which leaves little room for error.
How does Yannis match up against Bashi
Bashi came up short in his UFC debut, but facing someone as skilled as Christian Rodriguez was a tough assignment. In this matchup, Bashi is almost certain to rely on his wrestling—and that spells trouble for Yannis. Bashi is a strong chain wrestler, which is exactly where Yannis tends to struggle. For Yannis to have a shot, he’ll need to turn this into a gritty, chaotic fight. The problem is, Bashi is too athletic and too fundamentally sound in his wrestling to let that happen. His pressure and grappling should be enough to control the pace and secure the win.
