Petr Yan

Petr Evgenyevich Yan (; born 11 February 1993) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current and two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. He is also a former interim Bantamweight Champion. Yan formerly fought in Absolute Championship Berkut where he is a former ACB Bantamweight Champion. As of 16 June 2026, he is #3 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

Early life and master of sport in boxing Yan was born to a father of mixed Chinese (paternal) and Georgian-Russian (maternal) descent and a Russian mother. In sixth grade, Yan began training in ITF taekwondo and often fought in the streets and at the school in his area, so his family often moved to try and prevent this. Yan's older brother trained in boxing in the city of Dudinka, Krasnoyarsk Krai, and Petr wanted to learn how to box too. But his elder brother initially refused to take Petr along with him, so Petr decided to sneak and follow his brother to go to learn the sport. From then on, Petr went on to train in boxing for 8 years and achieved the rank of Master of Sport in boxing in the 64 kg weight category.

Following his first professional loss, Yan returned to face English mixed martial artist Ed Arthur at ACB 41: Path to Triumph, in Sochi. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

In the spring of 2017, Yan was scheduled to have a rematch with Magomed Magomedov on 15 April at ACB 57: Payback in Moscow. This time, Yan exacted revenge and defeated Magomedov by unanimous decision after fighting all five hard-fought rounds. He won the decision and ultimately was crowned the ACB bantamweight champion.

Following his win, Yan returned in September 2017 to fight Brazilian contender Matheus Mattos at ACB: 71 in Moscow. After winning the first two rounds, Yan caught Mattos with a left uppercut which caused Mattos to fall to his back, making the referee stop the fight. He successfully defended his bantamweight title by third-round knockout.

Ultimate Fighting Championship Following his first title defense, Yan signed a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in January 2018.

Yan made his promotional debut against Teruto Ishihara on 23 June 2018 at UFC Fight Night 132. He won the fight via technical knockout in the first round.

Yan was briefly scheduled to face top-14 UFC rankings Douglas Silva de Andrade on 15 September 2018 at the UFC Fight Night 136. However, Andrade pulled out of the fight on 9 August citing a foot injury, and he was replaced by Jin Soo Son. At weigh-ins, Son weighed one pound over the bantamweight non-title fight limit of 136 pounds and he was fined 20 percent of his purse to Yan. Yan won the fight by unanimous decision. This win earned him the Fight of the Night award.

A bantamweight bout was rescheduled between Yan and Douglas Silva de Andrade for UFC 232 on 29 December 2018. He won the fight via technical knockout in round two after de Andrade's corner stopped the fight.

On 10 January 2019, Yan revealed on social media that he had signed a new, four-fight contract with the UFC. Yan faced John Dodson on 23 February 2019 at UFC Fight Night 145. Yan won the fight by unanimous decision, after landing hard punches and kicks whilst Dodson's back was against the cage.

Despite his previous, few months old contract, Yan signed a new six-fight contract which was offered to him immediately after his win against Dodson.

Yan faced Jimmie Rivera on 8 June 2019 at UFC 238. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

On 26 June, it was reported that Yan had to undergo surgery due to synovitis in his left elbow.

Yan faced Urijah Faber on 14 December 2019 at UFC 245. After largely dominating the striking exchanges and knocking Faber down in the second round, Yan ultimately won the fight via knockout in the third round. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

After the fight with Faber, Yan was critical of bantamweight champion, Henry Cejudo, stating that he is being ducked by Cejudo. "I think it's pretty obvious he is ducking me and doing everything he can to avoid fighting me. All this talk about him wanting a bigger name is bullshit, he just wants easier fight for himself."

Bantamweight Championship After Cejudo's title defense against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249, Cejudo announced he would be retiring from mixed martial arts competition vacating the UFC Bantamweight Championship. Yan then faced former WEC and UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo for the vacant title on 12 July 2020 at UFC 251. He won the fight via technical knockout in the fifth round.

Yan was expected to make his first title defense against Aljamain Sterling on 12 December 2020 at UFC 256. However, it was announced on 22 November that the bout was cancelled from the UFC 256 card and the bout was rescheduled on 6 March 2021 at UFC 259. Yan lost the fight by disqualification in the fourth round due to an illegal knee, losing the UFC Bantamweight Championship. Two judges had Yan up 29–28 and one had Sterling up 29–28 before the illegal knee.

A rematch with Sterling was expected to take place on 30 October 2021 at UFC 267. However, on 25 September, Sterling withdrew from the contest due to lingering neck issues. Cory Sandhagen stepped in as replacement with the bout being for the interim UFC Bantamweight Championship. Yan won the bout via unanimous decision. This bout earned the Fight of the Night award.

A title unification rematch with Aljamain Sterling was scheduled to take place on 5 March 2022 at UFC 272. However, on 11 January 2022, it was announced that the bout was pushed back to UFC 273 on 9 April. Yan lost the bout via a split decision. The fight also earned him third place in the "Fan Bonus of the Night" award.

Post-championship fights Yan faced Sean O'Malley on 22 October 2022 at UFC 280. He lost the bout via split decision. The decision was seen as highly controversial with many fans and fighters adamantly expressing their belief that Yan was the rightful winner. 25 out of 26 media outlets scored the bout in favor of Yan. The bout received the Fight of the Night bonus. However, the editors of Sherdog website gave this fight "2022 Robbery of the Year Award".

Yan faced Merab Dvalishvili on 11 March 2023 at UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Yan was scheduled to headline UFC Fight Night 233 against Song Yadong on 9 December 2023. However, Yan withdrew from the bout citing an injury and was replaced by Chris Gutiérrez, whom Song would defeat. A bout with Song was rebooked for 9 March 2024, at UFC 299. A month prior to the event, Yan suffered a groin muscle injury, and in the first round of the fight, Yan tore his ACL and meniscus, requiring a change of strategy. Despite the injuries, Yan won the bout by unanimous decision.

Yan faced former two-time UFC Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo on 23 November 2024 in the main event at UFC Fight Night 248. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Yan faced Marcus McGhee on 26 July 2025 at UFC on ABC 9. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Second title reign Yan faced Merab Dvalishvili in a rematch for the UFC Bantamweight Championship on 6 December 2025 at UFC 323. He won the championship by unanimous decision. This fight earned him another Fight of the Night award.

Yan is scheduled to defend his title against Dvalishvili in a trilogy bout on 24 October 2026 at UFC 333.

Fighting style

Yan is primarily a switch-stance striker whose game is built around compact boxing, pressure footwork and a layered high guard. He holds the rank of Master of Sport in boxing and a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, while his professional style is generally associated with precision striking, diverse offense and strong cardio. Rather than relying only on constant output, Yan often builds his offense through patient reads, small steps, stance changes and hand fighting, using these tools to close space, limit exits and force opponents to reset before attacking with combinations or counters.

A central feature of Yan's defense is his high guard, which he combines with upper-body movement, subtle pivots and counterpunching. This allows him to stay close enough to answer after blocking or parrying strikes, while still advancing behind measured pressure.

In grappling exchanges, Yan is not primarily a submission-oriented fighter, but his wrestling is an important part of his overall game. He uses trips, throws and mat returns from clinch positions, often after catching kicks or gaining body-lock control, and his defensive wrestling relies heavily on balance, hand fighting and forearm frames while sprawling or working along the fence. During Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Yan posted an image on social media of the countries' flags and a dove of peace. . Yan was also awarded the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" (Order II) on April 22nd, 2026.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship UFC Bantamweight Championship (Two times, current) Tied (Cody Garbrandt) for third most knockdowns in UFC Bantamweight division history (10) UFC.com Awards 2018: Ranked #5 Newcomer of the Year 2019: Top 10 Fighter of the Year 2021: Ranked #4 Fight of the Year 2022: Ranked #10 Fight of the Year

Crypto.com Fan Bonus of the Night MMADNA.nl 2018 European Newcomer of the Year MMA Sucka 2019 UFC Breakout Star of the Year Sherdog 2022 Robbery of the Year 2025 Upset of the Year MMA Mania 2025 #5 Ranked Fighter of the Year MMA Fighting 2025 #3 Ranked Fighter of the Year 2025 #5 Ranked Fight of the Year 2025 Performance of the Year 2025 Second Team MMA All-Star CBS Sports 2025 UFC Fighter of the Year Uncrowned 2025 Male Fighter of the Year

Mixed martial arts record Win

Merab Dvalishvili Decision (unanimous) UFC 323

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Marcus McGhee Decision (unanimous) UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. de Ridder

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Win

Deiveson Figueiredo Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Figueiredo

Macau SAR, China Win

Song Yadong Decision (unanimous) UFC 299

Miami, Florida, United States Loss

Merab Dvalishvili Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Sean O'Malley Decision (split) UFC 280

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Loss

Aljamain Sterling Decision (split) UFC 273

Jacksonville, Florida, United States Win

Cory Sandhagen Decision (unanimous) UFC 267

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Loss

Aljamain Sterling DQ (illegal knee) UFC 259

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

José Aldo TKO (punches) UFC 251

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Win

Urijah Faber KO (head kick) UFC 245

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Jimmie Rivera Decision (unanimous) UFC 238

Chicago, Illinois, United States Win

John Dodson Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Błachowicz vs. Santos

Prague, Czech Republic Win

Douglas Silva de Andrade TKO (corner stoppage) UFC 232

Inglewood, California, United States Win

Son Jin-soo Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Oleinik

Moscow, Russia Win

Teruto Ishihara KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards

Kallang, Singapore Win

Matheus Mattos TKO (punches) ACB 71

Moscow, Russia Win

Magomed Magomedov Decision (unanimous) ACB 57

Moscow, Russia Win

Ed Arthur Decision (unanimous) ACB 41

Sochi, Russia Loss

Magomed Magomedov Decision (split) ACB 32

Moscow, Russia Win

Murad Kalamov Decision (unanimous) ACB 24

Moscow, Russia Win

Artur Mirzakhanyan TKO (punches) Professional Fight Night 10: Russia Cup

Omsk, Russia Win

Kharon Orzumiev Submission (guillotine choke) ACB 19

Kaliningrad, Russia Win

Renato Velame Decision (unanimous) ACB 14

Grozny, Russia Win

Murad Bakiev KO (punch) Siberian League: Baikal Cup 2014

Irkutsk, Russia Pay-per-view bouts