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Fight called off
Yan will no longer face Aljamain Sterling at UFC 256 on Dec. 12, Damon Martin of MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Yan was slated to defend his bantamweight title in December, but the fight was scrapped from the UFC 256 card due to personal reasons on Yan's end. The promotion is reportedly seeking to reschedule the fight for a later date, but neither fighter will enter the Octagon on Dec. 12.
Yan was slated to defend his bantamweight title in December, but the fight was scrapped from the UFC 256 card due to personal reasons on Yan's end. The promotion is reportedly seeking to reschedule the fight for a later date, but neither fighter will enter the Octagon on Dec. 12.
Targeted for December fight
Yan is being targeted to take on Aljamain Sterling in a bantamweight matchup as the co-main event at a UFC event Dec. 12, Brett Okamoto of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
Although the contracts haven't yet been officially signed, Yan is unsurprisingly in line to make his first title defense against Sterling. Yan looked dominant in July as he became the undisputed UFC Bantamweight Champion with a victory over Jose Aldo via TKO (punches) at UFC 251. Sterling has elite striking defense, and he's coming off the best performance of his career when he defeated Cory Sandhagen via submission (rear-naked choke) in Round 1 of UFC 250 in June. The fighters are even in height, but Sterling has an advantage in reach.
Although the contracts haven't yet been officially signed, Yan is unsurprisingly in line to make his first title defense against Sterling. Yan looked dominant in July as he became the undisputed UFC Bantamweight Champion with a victory over Jose Aldo via TKO (punches) at UFC 251. Sterling has elite striking defense, and he's coming off the best performance of his career when he defeated Cory Sandhagen via submission (rear-naked choke) in Round 1 of UFC 250 in June. The fighters are even in height, but Sterling has an advantage in reach.
Next opponent lined up
Yan is line to make his first title defense against Aljamain Sterling according to UFC President Dana White, Damon Martin of MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
White had been previously non-committal on the possibility of Yan facing off with Sterling, but he finally acknowledged the UFC's plans in his post-fight press conference last Saturday night. Yan looked tremendous when gaining the vacant belt against Jose Aldo on Fight Island this past July, but Sterling is an entirely different test, and the odds would presumably be much closer for this proposed matchup. Yan may have the slight edge in striking volume over a shorter sample size, but Sterling has superior striking defense and higher takedown volume. Sterling has a four-inch reach advantage, but Yan would presumably look to close the distance to negate that and take advantage of Sterling's sub-par 51 percent takedown defense. Both are complete martial artists more than deserving of this opportunity.
White had been previously non-committal on the possibility of Yan facing off with Sterling, but he finally acknowledged the UFC's plans in his post-fight press conference last Saturday night. Yan looked tremendous when gaining the vacant belt against Jose Aldo on Fight Island this past July, but Sterling is an entirely different test, and the odds would presumably be much closer for this proposed matchup. Yan may have the slight edge in striking volume over a shorter sample size, but Sterling has superior striking defense and higher takedown volume. Sterling has a four-inch reach advantage, but Yan would presumably look to close the distance to negate that and take advantage of Sterling's sub-par 51 percent takedown defense. Both are complete martial artists more than deserving of this opportunity.
New UFC Bantamweight Champ
Yan became the undisputed UFC Bantamweight Champion on Saturday, defeating Jose Aldo via TKO (punches) at 3:24 of Round 5 at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi.
ANALYSIS
It turned into a rout when all was said and done, but this was a legitimate battle for the better part of four rounds. Yan looked calm and composed in the biggest fight of his career, but he still struggled defensively against Aldo. The former pound-for-pound king repeatedly peppered Yan with leg kicks in addition to landing stinging shots to the body. Yan responded with well-placed combinations of his own, and it appeared this fight would go down to the wire until Aldo suddenly gassed out in the later stages of Round 4. Yan poured it on from there. Yan was credited with 194 significant strikes landed, a new WEC/UFC bantamweight record. Overall, Yan landed 258 total strikes, with 113 of them coming in Round 5 alone. At least 75 of those were completely unnecessary, as Aldo was clearly not intelligently defending himself, yet referee Leon Roberts decided to allow the fight to continue for no good reason. Yan looked very good in this fight but he was facing an opponent in Aldo who was more than willing to engage him in a kickboxing match. His first title defense will almost certainly come against rising Serra/Longo star Aljamain Sterling, and Aljo isn't going to allow Yan stand in one place and unload combinations. The line for that fight figures to be tight, with possibly a slight edge to Sterling.
It turned into a rout when all was said and done, but this was a legitimate battle for the better part of four rounds. Yan looked calm and composed in the biggest fight of his career, but he still struggled defensively against Aldo. The former pound-for-pound king repeatedly peppered Yan with leg kicks in addition to landing stinging shots to the body. Yan responded with well-placed combinations of his own, and it appeared this fight would go down to the wire until Aldo suddenly gassed out in the later stages of Round 4. Yan poured it on from there. Yan was credited with 194 significant strikes landed, a new WEC/UFC bantamweight record. Overall, Yan landed 258 total strikes, with 113 of them coming in Round 5 alone. At least 75 of those were completely unnecessary, as Aldo was clearly not intelligently defending himself, yet referee Leon Roberts decided to allow the fight to continue for no good reason. Yan looked very good in this fight but he was facing an opponent in Aldo who was more than willing to engage him in a kickboxing match. His first title defense will almost certainly come against rising Serra/Longo star Aljamain Sterling, and Aljo isn't going to allow Yan stand in one place and unload combinations. The line for that fight figures to be tight, with possibly a slight edge to Sterling.
In for UFC 251
Yan's fight against Jose Aldo for the UFC Bantamweight Championship will take place at UFC 251 on July 11 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, Ariel Helwani of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
This matchup has been rumored in recent weeks, but it was unclear when and where it would take place, given both fighters are internationally-based. UFC President Dana White made the official announcement Tuesday that UFC 251 would take place on July 11 on Fight Island, and that Yan-Aldo would be part of the card. Yan and Aldo will be fighting for the bantamweight title left open by the retirement of Henry Cejudo, and it's actually the younger Yan that opened as a betting favorite of roughly (-240). Yan is 6-0 since entering the UFC, while Aldo is just 2-4 in his last six bouts. Aldo will hold a three-inch reach advantage as a fighter who used to compete at featherweight, though both men stand at 5-foot-7. It's a classic "changing of the guard" matchup, as Aldo has competed against elite featherweights for the entirety of his career, while Yan is the red-hot prospect. The winner is almost certain to face top contender Aljamain Sterling in his first title defense.
This matchup has been rumored in recent weeks, but it was unclear when and where it would take place, given both fighters are internationally-based. UFC President Dana White made the official announcement Tuesday that UFC 251 would take place on July 11 on Fight Island, and that Yan-Aldo would be part of the card. Yan and Aldo will be fighting for the bantamweight title left open by the retirement of Henry Cejudo, and it's actually the younger Yan that opened as a betting favorite of roughly (-240). Yan is 6-0 since entering the UFC, while Aldo is just 2-4 in his last six bouts. Aldo will hold a three-inch reach advantage as a fighter who used to compete at featherweight, though both men stand at 5-foot-7. It's a classic "changing of the guard" matchup, as Aldo has competed against elite featherweights for the entirety of his career, while Yan is the red-hot prospect. The winner is almost certain to face top contender Aljamain Sterling in his first title defense.