LAS VEGAS – Petr Yan believes he’s done enough to warrant a title shot.
Yan’s victory at UFC 245, a third-round TKO of Urijah Faber, was his sixth win in 17 months since signing with the promotion. Yan (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) has finished three of those fights inside the distancw, but he’s never taken out a fighter with the resume of a UFC Hall of Famer – until Saturday night.
“I never envisioned my fight to go any way,” Yan told reporters, including MMA Junkie, backstage afterward through a translator. “I just come to win, and I’m very glad I did it.”
As for what’s next, Yan generally was passive. Dates, opponents, and other logistics will be figured out by his manager at a later date. However, that doesn’t mean the Russian bantamweight isn’t of the opinion he should be next in line for champion Henry Cejudo.
“What do you guys think?” Yan said. “Do I deserve to fight for the title or not? I’ve had six wins inside a year-and-a-half. I think I deserve it.”
Coming out of the Faber fight relatively unscathed, Yan indicated there should be no delay in his return should the promotion request a quick turnaround.
“I feel good,” Yan said. “I don’t think I have any serious injuries. I can come back whenever they tell me to come back.”
The bantamweight bout between Yan and Faber opened up the UFC 245 main card at T-Mobile Arena. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Check out Yan’s full UFC 245 post-fight scrum in the video above.
