Petr Yan scored a giant win over Deiveson Figueiredo at Saturday morning’s UFC Macau to re-insert his title within the dialog for a shot on the bantamweight belt.
After 5 thrilling rounds of back-and-forth motion, Yan earned a unanimous resolution win over his fellow former champion, with 50-45 scores throughout the board that don’t replicate how shut a number of of the rounds had been.
Yan has now gained again to again selections over Figueiredo and Tune Yadong to earn his first profitable streak since 2020.
“I felt that I led within the combat, however something can occur within the UFC,” Yan stated after the win, calling for a shot at 135-pound champion Merab Dvalishvili subsequent. “Earlier than my combat, Merab stated [me vs. Deiveson Figueiredo] deserves a title combat. I wish to say, Merab, what you say now after I beat No. 1 contender in my division? I wish to do a rematch with Merab. Let’s go.”
The previous 135-pound champion appeared to cease Figueiredo’s unbeaten run within the division, ut Figueiredo got here out sturdy in Spherical 1 by taking him to the bottom. The Brazilian couldn’t do a lot there, and Yan finally inverted to remain on high place and land brief hammerfists and elbows.
Yan began working physique kicks within the second spherical, once more avoiding Figueiredo’s takedowns, and at last put the Brazilian on the bottom with a fantastic foot sweep within the closing moments of the interval.
Spherical 3 started and Yan clearly began to hassle Figueiredo with calf and leg kicks earlier than knocking him down with a nasty proper uppercut. Yan smelled blood and went for the bottom and pound with hammerfists earlier than “Deus da Guerra” discovered a gap to get again to his ft.
Figueiredo and Yan began the fourth stanza with an insane scramble that ended with Figueiredo urgent the Russian towards the cage to decelerate the motion. Yan knocked off Figueiredo’s mouthpiece with a left uppercut, once more hurting him with a two-punch mixture, however Figueiredo was the one to attain a knockdown. Yan was damage for a quick second, however went again to his ft to eat one other physique shot to shut the spherical.
Needing a end within the fifth, Figueiredo was instructed by his coaches to “preserve [Yan] guessing to kill him with the hand.” It was Yan opening the ultimate spherical with higher pictures landed on the ft, and lacking a spinning again elbow that left Figueiredo smiling within the heart of the cage. Yan and Figueiredo closed the present altering punches, and the Russian was declared the winner on the scorecards.
Figueiredo congratulated his opponent contained in the cage after shedding for the primary time at bantamweight. The previous UFC flyweight champion was 3-0 within the division over Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt and Marlon Vera earlier than stumbling towards Yan.
“Holy sh*t, brother,” Figueiredo stated contained in the octagon. “Hats off to Petr Yan. Right this moment was his day. We will solely carry the burden God provides, and right now was his day. Tomorrow, I promise I’ll come again higher. I at all times do. I at all times come again higher.”