Former Bantamweight Champion and UFC Abu Dhabi Co-Headliner Petr Yan do not recognize three of his four octagonal setbacks.
Yan is currently continuing his push to return to the throne at 135 pounds after he was dropped off without mercy in 2021. In his very first title defense at UFC 259, Yan was disqualified for the knee of Aljamain Sterling while the challenger was grounded.
While the Russian immediately recovered by winning the interim title in a memorable five-round war with Cory Sandhagen, his indictment was returned to the top by a bleak run of three straight defeats.
Or was it? If you ask the man himself, he has only lost once in the UFC.
Petr Yan does not accept his losses to Sean O'Malley and Aljamain Sterling
During a UFC Abu Dhabi Fight Week interview with UFC.com, Yan looked back on the Winless Run that preceded his recent in form of form.
Although his record will always read three consecutive losses for Sterling, Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili, the Russian former champion sees only one of those results as a legitimate defeat.
“I, personally, I don't think I had three losses (in a row),” said Yan, whose feelings about his very first UFC loss for Sterling are also known.
“I defeated Sean O'Malley. I had a close struggle with Aljamain Sterling that I think I won, and the only fight I lost against Merab, and I had reasons for such a performance.
“So, I never thought I had three losses,” Yan added.
O'Malley and Yan exchanged success in their three-round 2022 struggle, with 'Suga' who got the nod on the score cards controversial.
There was less discussion about the result that followed on 'No Mercy', because Yan was comfortably defeated by Dvalishvili in March 2023.
Petr Yan expects the chance to revenge his 'only' loss if he wins at UFC Abu Dhabi
The Russian took two straight victories to bounce back from his loss to Dvalishvili, first against Song Yadong before Yan Beat DeVeson Figueiredo at UFC Macau.
That run seemed to put 'No Mercy' on the road to a rematch with 'The Machine'. And with that in mind, many were surprised to see Yan correspond to Marcus Mcghee for UFC Abu Dhabi.
Yan further revealed that he could have sat and waited for a shot to get the Bantamweight title back, but finally chose to stay active.
“I was told that I can wait and I will be the next one in line for the title, but I don't want to wait and I don't want to be an inactive hunter, I want to fight twice this year,” Yan told Gorilla Energy.
“I am ready to fight, I have spoken my desire and they found me an opponent. All hunters in the top five or even top 10 are now busy. Some of them have already planned fights. Some have other reasons.
“I just wanted to fight in July, they thought I was an opponent and I am ready,” Yan added.
Although that means that 'no grace' risks its position, it must ensure that a victory on Saturday puts him in line for a chance against the winner of the Co-Main event of UFC 320 between Dvalishhvili and Sandhagen.