Ex-Champion Petr Yan targets March return to Octagon: ‘UFC 299 sounds good for a comeback’

Former interim and undisputed bantamweight champion, Petr Yan has confirmed plans to snap his hiatus from the Octagon at UFC 299 in March of next year – as he attempts to snap a run of three consecutive losses.

Yan, the current number five ranked bantamweight contender, has been sidelined since suffering a one-sided unanimous decision shutout loss to surging Georgian grappler, Merab Dvalishvili at UFC Fight Night Las Vegas back in March in the pair’s main event clash.

Prior to that loss, Yan suffered consecutive split decision losses to incumbent bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley, and former champion, two-time opponent, Aljamain Sterling. 

Without a victory since winning interim bantamweight spoils back in October 2021 in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Yan landed a decision win over perennial contender, Cory Sandhagen. 

Petr Yan confirms plans for a return to fighting at UFC 299

16-5 as a professional, Dudinka native, Yan has now provided an interesting update on his fighting future, confirming his plans to feature in some capacity at UFC 299 in March of next year – tentatively targeted for Miami, Florida.

“UFC 299 sounds good for the comeback,” Petr Yan posted on his official X account.

Winning the vacant bantamweight crown back in 2020, Yan managed to turn in an eventual fifth round ground strikes TKO win over former featherweight titleholder and Hall of Fame inductee, Jose Aldo.

Failing to land a successful defense of the undisputed crown, Russian striker, Yan became the first champion in UFC history to lose his belt via disqualification, after he struck the above-mentioned, Sterling with an illegal knee strike in the fourth round of their first title fight, landing on a downed opponent. 

Over the course of his Octagon tenure, Yan, 30 has also landed other notable victories over former flyweight championship challenger, John Dodson, as well as former WEC featherweight champion, Urijah Faber. 

Who do you want to see former champion, Petr Yan fight in his return to the Octagon?