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Yan's Rocky Title Reign: From Champion to Controversy
4 Dec, 2025
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.
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.
