Petr Yan returns to championship territory at UFC 323 on Saturday, stepping into a long-awaited rematch and a chance to reclaim gold as he challenges Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title.
Once viewed as the division’s most ruthless technician, Yan now enters Las Vegas hungry to prove he remains the true standard at 135 pounds, not just a former champion, but the rightful No. 1 contender.
“There’s no question about the fact that Merab is a great warrior. He showed with his fights that he is a deserving champion, that he deserves to be where he’s at, but I also want to say that with my fights and with my performances I showed that there is no other clear #1 contender,” Yan told reporters through a translator on Wednesday.
“I deserve to be #1 contender, and I’m ready and able to fight for this title.”
For Yan (19-5) that familiarity cuts both ways heading into Saturday. Yan believes the advantage lies with him, pointing to previous rematches in his career as proof that he levels up the second time around.
“We have a lot of information that we’ve downloaded about each other. We know each other better, but if you look at my first two rematches (Magomed) Magomedov and (Aljamain) Sterling that you could see that I was 100% better in the second fight. I’m determined to make sure that I’m much better in the second fight against Merab,” he said.
Yan enters UFC 323 with a chip on his shoulder and a familiar rival in front of him, looking to reclaim a position he once held atop the bantamweight division.
“This is a way more important fight for myself, for the entire team, for everybody who’s with me,” said Yan.
“It’s important for me to come back and to really show what I can do.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Petr Yan above. He challenges Merab Dvalishvili for the bantamweight title at UFC 323 on Saturday night.
