Who is Petr Yan and what is his UFC record?

Petr Yan is a mixed martial artist who competed for the UFC bantamweight title, experiencing both championship wins and controversial losses.

What happened in Petr Yan's title fight disqualification?

Petr Yan was disqualified for landing an illegal knee on a grounded opponent, Aljamain Sterling, during his first title defense.

Was the rematch between Sterling and Yan controversial?

Yes, the rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan for the bantamweight title ended in a controversial split decision loss for Yan.

Home / Sports / Yan's Rocky Title Reign: From Champion to Controversy

Yan's Rocky Title Reign: From Champion to Controversy

4 Dec, 2025

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Summary

Yan quickly rose to bantamweight champion status within a year.
He lost his title due to a disqualification for an illegal knee.
A controversial split decision loss marked his rematch with Sterling.

Yan's Rocky Title Reign: From Champion to Controversy

Petr Yan experienced a meteoric rise in the UFC following his 2018 debut. Within a year, he had amassed five consecutive victories, culminating in a 2020 win over Jose Aldo for the vacant bantamweight championship. His championship tenure, however, proved brief and tumultuous.

Yan's first title defense ended in disqualification after he delivered an illegal knee to a grounded Aljamain Sterling, costing him the belt. He later fought back, capturing an interim bantamweight title by defeating Cory Sandhagen.

Despite this resurgence, Yan's bid to reclaim the undisputed title in a rematch against Sterling concluded with a controversial split decision loss. This series of events highlights a period of intense highs and dramatic lows in his championship aspirations.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.