SUMMARY
- Petr Yan's UFC record proves he is still the boogeyman of the bantamweight division.
- Song Yadong needs a win against Petr Yan to prove he belongs at the top of the bantamweight division.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan is in the toughest spot of his MMA career after 3 consecutive losses. Ever since he lost his title against Aljamain Sterling, Petr Yan has lost 3 out of his 4 fights, including a title rematch against Aljo.
Not so long ago, there were speculations that Petr Yan might even quit UFC after multiple split decision losses, which were certainly controversial. However, the Boogeyman of the bantamweight division will be back in action at UFC 299.
Yan takes on 26-year-old Chinese MMA star, Song Yadong in a 3-round fight at UFC 299. Song Yadong is on an impressive 2-fight-win streak since his loss to Cory Sandhagen. And a fight against Petr Yan is a golden chance for him to prove that he belongs in the top 5 of the bantamweight division.
Petr Yan vs. Song Yadong fight predictions by UFC fighters
UFC lightweight Renato Moicano gave a bold prediction for this UFC 299 fight and claimed that Petr Yan will clearly win against Song Yadong. The event went on to claim that Petr Yan did not lose his controversial fight against the current champion, Sean O’Malley.
The former featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, also picked Petr Yan to win against the young and hungry UFC bantamweight Song Yadong. However, Volk does not think Yan would be able to finish Yadong in their 3 round fights.
Petr Yan is arguably the best boxer in the division. He can hurt any UFC bantamweight badly by striking. He even rocked Sean O’Malley in their 3-round fight, and many fans think he did enough to win the fight. Yan has brutal finishes over Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber, who is the coach of Song Yadong.
Yan has an incredible grappling and takedown defense. And despite him getting dominated on the ground against Aljo and Merab, he should be able to deal with Song Yadong’s ground game.
October 22, 2022
— Ocelot MMA (@Ocelot_MMA) March 5, 2024
UFC 280
Many expected Petr Yan to smash Sean O’Malley
But Sean gave a great account of himself.
Proved he is not to be underestimated
Won via SD (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)pic.twitter.com/jh2sE18u3W
Song Yadong packs a lot of power and has great footwork. However, in a striking battle, Yan will always have an edge over Yadong. Yan is coming off a long layoff since his loss to Merab Dvalishvili. However, this is a winnable fight for the former UFC bantamweight champion.
Yadong is extremely tough and durable, so it’s unlikely that we will see Yan get a finish. However, Yan should be able to win comfortably on the judges’ scorecard.
Petr Yan vs. Song Yadong prediction: Petr Yan wins by judges decision
