Fourth title fight
The story of Petr Yan's rise to the UFC is unique in many ways.
The Russian fighter made his debut in the league in the summer of 2018 and in less than four years managed not only to become a champion in the bantamweight division, but also to break into the top ten of the rating, regardless of weight categories.
The athlete's ascent to the top has become one of the fastest in the newest era of promotion, and even Khabib Nurmagomedov is not able to argue with him in this.
It took Tom six years and nine fights in the league to finally get a chance to ascend to the division throne.
In comparison, Ruthless only took six.
And already on April 10, Jan will equal Nurmagomedov in the number of title fights in the UFC.
Yes, with a small caveat, because one of them went beyond the time zone.
And this is especially noteworthy, because until now he has never had the opportunity to lead the promotion tournament - both numbered and weekly.
The fighter came closest to this achievement at the beginning of 2020.
In March, it was reported that the championship plans to put on a show in Nur-Sultan in the summer, and the battle of the Russian with Marlon Moraes was to lead it.
Subsequently, the coronavirus pandemic and Henry Cejudo's departure from the sport slightly adjusted plans, but Peter was hardly upset.
Instead of Kazakhstan, he went to the UAE, where he won the vacant trophy in a fight with Jose Aldo.
Undeserved Champion
True, in order to win a third victory in title fights and get closer to achieving a compatriot, Jan needs to deal with Aljamain Sterling.
On paper, this looks like a manageable task.
In the first fight, the Russian dominated the opponent and had every chance to get another knockout, but made a fatal mistake.
The forbidden knee hit cost him dearly - the second defeat in his career, the loss of the belt and the year of waiting for revenge, during which he was forced to observe the bravado of the "injured" American.
Although many agreed that the title went to the latter absolutely undeservedly.
“In the history of the UFC, there was no person who took possession of the belt in this way.
And he considers himself a champion.
This is absurd,” Yang said during a press day.
And it's hard to disagree with the Russians.
The decision of the leadership of the championship to give the trophy to Sterling initially seemed wrong, and time only confirmed this.
In the 13 months since his “conquest”, the American gave out many interviews, wrote a huge number of posts with insults against the Russian, but never entered the octagon.
Of course, there was a good reason for this - a neck injury - but this does not change the essence of the matter.
Aljamain did not receive the belt in the most honest way and was not eager to defend it, and if he gives in immediately, he may well go down in history as one of the worst champions in the promotion.
In this case, he risks standing on a par with Germain de Randami and Nicco Montaño.
Both were slow to fight Cris Cyborg and Valentina Shevchenko respectively, citing various health issues, and were subsequently stripped of their titles.
And this despite the fact that the Dutch woman also won it in a not very unambiguous manner.
During the fight with Holly Holm, she hit her opponent several times after the gong, but the judge never punished her with penalty points.
Annoying factors
While Ian is the clear favorite to take on Sterling, there is at least one factor that could influence his upcoming performance.
We are talking about the psychological stability of the Russian, which has not been subjected to such a serious test in his entire career.
Until now, none of his opponents have made such an effort to “get into his head” and piss him off.
And it is difficult to say whether Peter will be able to leave personal hostility aside and enter the cage cold-blooded.
Yes, in the course of communicating with reporters, Yang assured that the upcoming confrontation was not something personal for him, and promised to calmly do his job.
But there is every reason not to take his word for it.
Throughout the year, Sterling has tried his best to prick his counterparts on social media and has prepared something special for both the final press conference and the battle of views during the weigh-in.
And it is not clear whether Peter will be able to follow the example of Khabib and let the whole trash talk go past his ears, as he did before the fight with Conor McGregor.
The situation is only complicated by the fact that during the battle, Jan will not be able to count on many members of his team - people close to him, who can not only help with advice, but also reassure a little at the right time.
Coaches Kairat Nurmaganbetov and Andrey Oktyabrinsky could not get visas to the United States, apparently, long-term teammates Denis Lavrentiev and Ilyas Khamzin will not be around either.
And whether Peter will be able not to succumb to emotions in such a situation is an interesting question.
Sterling's new plan
At the same time, there is no doubt about the motivation of the American.
In fact, the reciprocal fight with Jan is the main one in his career for him.
If he manages to create a sensation, he will not only earn a round sum, but also prove that he is worthy of the title of UFC champion, and doubts about him were in vain.
Surely Sterling himself understands this, and therefore tries to approach the fight in a state of maximum readiness.
Perhaps this was the reason for his refusal to fight in October.
As Aljamain admitted, as a result of sparring with Merab Dvalishvili, he realized that he was not ready to confront Peter and decided to postpone the rematch.
It is worth believing that Sterling has spent the last six months wisely and, together with the team, has developed a new plan for the fight.
Because the previous one didn't work.
Relatively successfully, the American spent only the first round, after which he ran out of steam and in the remaining time was inferior both in the stance and in his element - the stalls.
Suffice it to say that the NCAA Division 3 wrestler only once managed to take an opponent to the floor in 17 attempts, while he himself could not avoid a takedown seven times.
As for the hit statistics, it speaks in his favor (119:103), but this is one of those cases when you should not pay attention to it.
Algemain's supposedly significant strikes (97:86) carried much less threat and dealt less damage.
The state of Sterling himself is proof of this.
In the fourth round, Yang simply beat the American and had the opportunity to resolve all issues ahead of schedule.
Jan's long-term outlook
If this time, Jan still manages to finish what he started, he will not only return to the top of the bantamweight division, but also open up the prospect of cash fights.
Undoubtedly, the organization of a duel with the ex-champion of the category, T.J. Dillashaw, who has served a suspension for doping and has already managed to get the better of Corey Sandhagen, seems to be the most logical.
Their fight is guaranteed to attract the attention of not only the Russian, but also the American audience, and quite possibly allow Peter to head the UFC tournament for the first time.
And this guarantees not only increased attention, but also a fee.
After that, the organization of his meeting with Henry Cejudo seems not so incredible.
A possible victory over the former two-division belt holder would be a significant milestone in the Russian's career and help him move closer to Nurmagomedov's status.
As for Sterling, it is possible that the fight with Jan could be the last in his career.
Even last year, Dillashaw had doubts about Algemain's ability to continue performing amid neck problems, and it is possible that the injury will again make itself felt in the future.
Yes, according to the American, he feels healthy and is in great shape, but which of the fighters did not say this before an important battle?
And if the true state of affairs is not so encouraging, then the loss of the title may make him consider leaving.