Strange matchmaking alert!
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight and No. 2-ranked Petr Yan returns after an eight-month hiatus to face No. 13-ranked Marcus McGhee at UFC Abu Dhabi on July 26, 2025, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Yes, Yan, who has a stronger claim to a Bantamweight title shot at UFC 316 than Sean O’Malley, is pitted against a fighter largely unfamiliar to MMA fans.
On paper, this matchup promises fireworks—both are elite strikers—but pairing them at their current rankings feels utterly perplexing and makes zero sense.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Yan (18-5) is on a two-fight win streak, rebounding from a tough three-fight slide. The Russian delivered a commanding unanimous decision over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau (watch highlights) and previously bested Song Yadong at UFC 299.
Yan had been pushing for a clash with Umar Nurmagomedov, but that fight appears to be shelved for now.
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Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC
McGhee (10-1) remains unbeaten in the UFC, boasting a 4-0 record with three finishes. His latest win came against Jonathan Martinez at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, securing this high-stakes opportunity.
A victory for “Maniac” could catapult him into the Bantamweight top 3.
With the addition of this Bantamweight matchup, here is what UFC Abu Dhabi looks like:
Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder
Movsar Evloev vs. Aaron Pico
Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee
Shara Magomedov vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov
Asu Almabayev vs. Ramazan Temirov
Ibo Aslan vs. Billy Elekana
Stick with Mania for more UFC Abu Dhabi fight card news.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
