Petr Yan would rather fight at UFC Abu Dhabi than wait for guaranteed title shot: ‘I was told I was next in line’

Petr Yan confused fight fans when he booked his Octagon return against No. 13-ranked Marcus McGhee at UFC Abu Dhabi this July, but the top bantamweight contender just wanted to stay active.

According to Yan, UFC informed him he’d be next in line for a shot at the UFC’s 135-pound title, which is currently held by pound-for-pound standout Merab Dvalishvili. The UFC’s bantamweight division is stacked, but Yan is coming off dominant wins over Deiveson Figueiredo and Song Yadong. Given his track record in the division it’s easy to see why UFC would look at Yan as next in line.

However, Yan would have to wait a little while for his chance at UFC gold. A bantamweight title fight between Dvalishvili and No. 4-ranked Cory Sandhagen is already in the works and something a lot of fight fans want to see. Yan could easily sit on the sideline and have more time to prepare for the winner, but he wants to stay active. That’s why he booked a dangerous fight against an unproven up-and-comer like McGhee.

“I was told that I can wait and I’ll be next in line for the title, but I don’t want to wait and I don’t want to be an inactive fighter. I want to fight twice this year, if possible,” said Yan in a recent interview with Gorilla Energy.

“I just wanted to fight in July, they found me an opponent, and I’m ready,” he added.

We’ll see what Yan can do against McGhee next month in Abu Dhabi. Anything short of a dominant decision or finish could change UFC’s decision for Yan to fight for the title next. It’s a dangerous game that Yan is playing, but an admirable one at that.

Thoughts?