Rematch Season! UFC’s Petr Yan Sheds Light on Next Fight, Rules Out 2 Opponents

The former UFC Champ wants nothing but the best following his latest win.

Craig Kidwell-USA TODAY Sports

Petr Yan is back to winning ways, leaving many to wonder who he’ll fight next.

The former UFC Bantamweight Champion recently snapped a three-fight losing skid with a unanimous decision effort over Song Yadong at UFC 299. In his post-fight interview, Yan warned the 135lb division that ‘hunting season’s open’.

RELATED: UFC Rankings: Michael Venom Page Breaks Top 15, Sean O’Malley Passes Former Champs

As for who Yan is gunning for, ‘No Mercy’ would like nothing more than to avenge his past defeats to the best in the world. 

“I want rematches, it’s gonna be rematch season,” Yan told ‘Gorilla Fighting’ (h/t: Championship Rounds). “I’m interested in Sean O’Malley, Merab Dvalishvili. I’m not interested in [Aljamain] Sterling, he’s a different weight [at 145lbs].”

This trio of fighters make up all of Yan’s losses inside the Octagon, with controversial results coming to Sterling and O’Malley. Dvalishvili, however, left no doubt that he was the better fighter the night he fought Yan in March 2023.

With his former foes Dvalishvili and O’Malley likely fighting each other for the bantamweight championship later this year, Yan wouldn’t mind fighting the latest title challenger Marlon ‘Chito Vera.

“I’m interested in Marlon Vera, guys who are in the top 5.”

“I’m only interested in fighters who are in the rankings where I am,” Yan said, when asked about potentially fighting #6-ranked Henry Cejudo. “I don’t know where he is now. He’s out of the question right now. But if it’s of interest, we’ll look into it.”

A former champion like Petr Yan himself, Cejudo was on the brink of retiring once again at UFC 298 after a decision loss to #1 contender Merab Dvalishvili. However, there seems to be some fight left in ‘Triple C’ as he hopes to make one last title run.

“I just can not let it roll like this,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “I just can not, as much as it hurts. Again, guys, I take the ‘L’. But I can not take the ‘L’ knowing the way that I pretty much went out.”

Who would you like to see Petr Yan fight next? A former foe or a fresh, new face?

Stick with MMA Knockout for more daily coverage of the UFC and MMA