Petr Yan is back in the title discussion at bantamweight.
At UFC Fight Night 248, Yan (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) masterfully defeated Deiveson Figueiredo (24-4-1 MMA, 13-4-1 UFC) by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45). The event took place Saturday at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China.
It only took Figueiredo less than half a minute to drag Yan down to the canvas at the start of the fight. Yan eventually worked his way into a controlling position on top, however, in Figueiredo’s guard. Yan landed some ground-and-pound before the two rose to their feet prior to the end of the round.
In Round 2, Yan’s takedown defense held up more effectively as he shoved off multiple Figueiredo attempts at grabbing a leg. Striking battles ensued with both men landing solid shots. Yan swept Figueiredo’s leg and landed on top shortly before the round ended.
The third round saw Yan drop Figueiredo with a slick punch, but the Brazilian former champion hung tough. The championship rounds seemingly escalated the fight to another level, as the two top bantamweight contenders showed why they are viewed as some of the world’s most elite.
When the dust settled and the scorecards were read, Yan was named the victor by the three cageside judges, who scored every single round in his favor.
After the fight, Yan called for a fight against bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili. The two fought in March 2023 when Dvalishvili defeated Yan by decisive five-round unanimous decision.
With the win, Yan extends his winning streak to two. In March, he returned from a one year layoff to defeat Song Yadong.
Figueiredo loses for the first time at bantamweight in the UFC. Prior to Saturday’s loss, he beat Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon Vera in succession to establish himself among the division’s elite.
The up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 248 results include:
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Petr Yan def. Deiveson Figueiredo via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
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Yan Xiaonan def. Tabatha Ricci via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
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Muslim Salikhov def. Song Kenan via knockout (wheel kick) – Round 2,
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Gabriella Fernandes def. Wang Cong via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 3:49
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Carlos Ulberg def. Volkan Oezdemir via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
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Zhang Mingyang def. Ozzy Diaz via knockout (elbow) – Round 1, 2:25
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Dong Hoon Choi def. Kiru Sahota via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 2:36
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Ming Shi def. Xiaocan Feng via knockout (head kick) – Round 3, 0:46
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Lone’er Kavanagh def. Jose Ochoa via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
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Xiao Long def. Quang Le via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 1:28
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Hayisaer Maheshate def. Nikolas Motta via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 248.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Fight Night 248 results: Petr Yan tops Deiveson Figueiredo in exciting battle, calls out Merab Dvalishvili
