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Ahead of the next UFC event (Cerrone vs McGregor) Petr Yan spoke to some journalists. He will be commentator for the fight on Russian TV. BTW this PPV event will be once again broadcast for free on Russian network television Ren TV who in the future will be broadcasting all UFC events for free the coming year 
.
I will cliff some stuff and translate some stuff. As always I only translate the topics that I think are the most interesting. I have compiled the interviews into topics from both videos. Questions/topics from the first video are marked with (vid 1) and from second video are marked with (vid 2).
Video 1
Video 2
About next fight (vid 1)
- Nothing is decided yet.
- Next fight in April, May or June. Would like April 18 on same card with Khabib.
- No opponent yet.
- Has been resting for a month, now starting with some light training.
Cejudo
Q: Who would you like to fight next Moraes or Sterling. (vid 1)
A: Doesn't matter if it's Cejudo, Sterling or Moraes. Right now the most important thing is to understands what's going on with the belt. How will they decide who'll fight for it? If I don't get a title shot, there are potential fights against Moares or Sterlig, both are dangerous and interesting fights. I would fight anyone of them.
Q: You were trolling Cejudo a lot on social media, you finally got a reaction. (vid 1)
A: Cejudo kept quiet for a long time, but he probably understood that the time has come to react. He started to respond. He couldn't keep quiet anymore. He responded "You beat a 40-year old skateboarder, let me beat the bald Mexican who looks like Dana White". Later he wrote some other stuff, we have an interesting back and forth, the ball is rolling. It would be an interesting fight for me. I want to be the champion of this promotion, nothing else interests me. If I am in UFC, I need to keep proving myself and go for the title.
Q: Petr, please tell, what's the situation with Henry Cejudo and how will you and your manager try to draw him out to a fight? (vid 2)
A: At the moment I think Henry himself is not 100% sure who he will fight and when he will fight. As I understand he has received an ultimatum (From UFC) to announced a date when he'll be ready to fight.
He'll probably fight Jose Aldo, but anything can happen and injuries occur, so I will be training and preparing and I will be ready to step in. If I don't get to fight Cejudo, I'm prepared to fight Moraes or Sterling and prove that I am the main contender for the belt.
Q: Why do you think that he wants to fight Jose Aldo and not you next? (vid 2)
A: I think he understands that a fight with me will be a very hard fight for him. Many people say that Cejudo is a tough opponent, but let's look at my 5 rounds fights from a professional point of view...
(Yan had several 5 round fight in ACB when he was the champion in that promotion. ACB, or ACA as it's known now is arguably the best promotion in Russia and in Europe)
Cejudo doesn't have strong submissions, you can't say that he has strong striking or good striking technique. After 1,5 round when we'll start sweating, he will not be able to hold me down, not for 5 rounds. I train with FW and LW guys on regular basis, I wrestle with them and spar with them. Cejudo is guy who has fought att Flyweight and recently went up to BW. A guy like that in a 5 round fight, after 3 rounds when my punches start to accumulate, he'll just want to run out of there. This is exactly what he is doing right now, he's running from me.
In a fight with me he'll either have to run out of the octagon or he'll be carried out.
More about Cejudo (vid 2)
- Yan doesn't see rivalry between him and Cejudo as Khabib vs McGrergor
- Cejudo is picking comfortable fights for himself
- Yan was taunting Cejudo in person, Cejudo didn't respond.
- Cejudo has been avoiding Yan on several occasions when Yan tried to start shit with him in person.
- Yan interprets the above as psychological weakness on Cejudos part.
- Yan was triple clown before, now lost belt, only double clown.
Cody Garbrandt
Q: Cody Garbrandt doesn't interest you as an opponent anymore? (vid 1)
A: He never really interested me. He was interested in me after my last fight, because I was the center of attention on that night. He lost 3 fights in a row by KO, he has to promote himself somehow. Also it was announced that night that if any incident happens, you'll get 1 years disqualification and they fine you 50% of your purse. So he wanted to provoke me any way he could.
Q: If you would trade punches with him, how fast would you drop Cody? (vid 1)
A: I think 1-1,5 round would be enough. Maybe even drop him straight away, he would fall as soon as he felt my punch. I would just run straight for him and light him up.
Trash talk and Russian MMA
Q: For a Russian person you have a very aggressive trash talk. How are you perceived in US? (vid 1)
A: I'm perceived with caution. They know our mentality. In US trash talk is common, but here it's not. But in my case I need to create public interest for the fight. But I know what I can and cannot say. You can't allow your self stuff like McGregor did, insult someones family, culture and religion. I will not allow myself that.
Q: Khabib is the poster boy for Russian MMA. Who is second Petr Yan or Zabit Magomedsharipov? (vid 1)
A: I can not brag about myself, I don't think that's correct, there are experts who decide those type of things. But I can say that Khabib is the champion and is without a doubt number 1.
Conor vs Cerrone
Q: Who will win Conor or Donald Cerrone? (vid 1)
A: In the fight game it's always hard to predict, but in this one I think I know the winner. I think it will be Conor. He chose a comfortable opponent for himself. He decided to enrich Cerrone and make a comeback after long lay off. Conor will be a clear favorit. But I will be supporting Cerrone, we are acquainted. I was surprised that he know a lot about me and even watched some of my fights. I would like him to win, but he will be in a tough situation.
Q: How can Cerrone win this fight? (vid 1)
A: With his high kick to the head. He will throw a 5 punch combination and something will land. That's the only way I see it and it will be hard.
Q: You will be a commentator for the McGregor vs Cerrone fight. How can McGregor loose this fight? (vid 2)
A: If he gets reckless, but I don't think that will happen. He is always very composed when it comes to his striking. I think that Cerrone is more dangerous in the later rounds and McGregor in the early rounds. Maybe Cerrone can use this situation. But I think that McGregor is well prepared for this fight, everyone is talking about his great shape.
Looking at this as a spectator, Cerrone has never been known as a top class fighter, so I think that McGregor will win without any serious trouble.
Q: Cerrone has a decent ground game. What do you think? (vid 2)
A: Well.. it's decent, but it's not a ground game that needs to be feared. I don't think that McGregor has a weaker ground game than Cerrone.
Q: The odds for Cerrone winning are 4,33. Is it a good bet to make? (vid 2)
A: I think you shouldn't make that bet. Anything can happen in a fight of course. But the right bet would be on McGregor by KO.
.I will cliff some stuff and translate some stuff. As always I only translate the topics that I think are the most interesting. I have compiled the interviews into topics from both videos. Questions/topics from the first video are marked with (vid 1) and from second video are marked with (vid 2).
Video 1
Video 2
About next fight (vid 1)
- Nothing is decided yet.
- Next fight in April, May or June. Would like April 18 on same card with Khabib.
- No opponent yet.
- Has been resting for a month, now starting with some light training.
Cejudo
Q: Who would you like to fight next Moraes or Sterling. (vid 1)
A: Doesn't matter if it's Cejudo, Sterling or Moraes. Right now the most important thing is to understands what's going on with the belt. How will they decide who'll fight for it? If I don't get a title shot, there are potential fights against Moares or Sterlig, both are dangerous and interesting fights. I would fight anyone of them.
Q: You were trolling Cejudo a lot on social media, you finally got a reaction. (vid 1)
A: Cejudo kept quiet for a long time, but he probably understood that the time has come to react. He started to respond. He couldn't keep quiet anymore. He responded "You beat a 40-year old skateboarder, let me beat the bald Mexican who looks like Dana White". Later he wrote some other stuff, we have an interesting back and forth, the ball is rolling. It would be an interesting fight for me. I want to be the champion of this promotion, nothing else interests me. If I am in UFC, I need to keep proving myself and go for the title.
Q: Petr, please tell, what's the situation with Henry Cejudo and how will you and your manager try to draw him out to a fight? (vid 2)
A: At the moment I think Henry himself is not 100% sure who he will fight and when he will fight. As I understand he has received an ultimatum (From UFC) to announced a date when he'll be ready to fight.
He'll probably fight Jose Aldo, but anything can happen and injuries occur, so I will be training and preparing and I will be ready to step in. If I don't get to fight Cejudo, I'm prepared to fight Moraes or Sterling and prove that I am the main contender for the belt.
Q: Why do you think that he wants to fight Jose Aldo and not you next? (vid 2)
A: I think he understands that a fight with me will be a very hard fight for him. Many people say that Cejudo is a tough opponent, but let's look at my 5 rounds fights from a professional point of view...
(Yan had several 5 round fight in ACB when he was the champion in that promotion. ACB, or ACA as it's known now is arguably the best promotion in Russia and in Europe)
Cejudo doesn't have strong submissions, you can't say that he has strong striking or good striking technique. After 1,5 round when we'll start sweating, he will not be able to hold me down, not for 5 rounds. I train with FW and LW guys on regular basis, I wrestle with them and spar with them. Cejudo is guy who has fought att Flyweight and recently went up to BW. A guy like that in a 5 round fight, after 3 rounds when my punches start to accumulate, he'll just want to run out of there. This is exactly what he is doing right now, he's running from me.
In a fight with me he'll either have to run out of the octagon or he'll be carried out.
More about Cejudo (vid 2)
- Yan doesn't see rivalry between him and Cejudo as Khabib vs McGrergor
- Cejudo is picking comfortable fights for himself
- Yan was taunting Cejudo in person, Cejudo didn't respond.
- Cejudo has been avoiding Yan on several occasions when Yan tried to start shit with him in person.
- Yan interprets the above as psychological weakness on Cejudos part.
- Yan was triple clown before, now lost belt, only double clown.
Cody Garbrandt
Q: Cody Garbrandt doesn't interest you as an opponent anymore? (vid 1)
A: He never really interested me. He was interested in me after my last fight, because I was the center of attention on that night. He lost 3 fights in a row by KO, he has to promote himself somehow. Also it was announced that night that if any incident happens, you'll get 1 years disqualification and they fine you 50% of your purse. So he wanted to provoke me any way he could.
Q: If you would trade punches with him, how fast would you drop Cody? (vid 1)
A: I think 1-1,5 round would be enough. Maybe even drop him straight away, he would fall as soon as he felt my punch. I would just run straight for him and light him up.
Trash talk and Russian MMA
Q: For a Russian person you have a very aggressive trash talk. How are you perceived in US? (vid 1)
A: I'm perceived with caution. They know our mentality. In US trash talk is common, but here it's not. But in my case I need to create public interest for the fight. But I know what I can and cannot say. You can't allow your self stuff like McGregor did, insult someones family, culture and religion. I will not allow myself that.
Q: Khabib is the poster boy for Russian MMA. Who is second Petr Yan or Zabit Magomedsharipov? (vid 1)
A: I can not brag about myself, I don't think that's correct, there are experts who decide those type of things. But I can say that Khabib is the champion and is without a doubt number 1.
Conor vs Cerrone
Q: Who will win Conor or Donald Cerrone? (vid 1)
A: In the fight game it's always hard to predict, but in this one I think I know the winner. I think it will be Conor. He chose a comfortable opponent for himself. He decided to enrich Cerrone and make a comeback after long lay off. Conor will be a clear favorit. But I will be supporting Cerrone, we are acquainted. I was surprised that he know a lot about me and even watched some of my fights. I would like him to win, but he will be in a tough situation.
Q: How can Cerrone win this fight? (vid 1)
A: With his high kick to the head. He will throw a 5 punch combination and something will land. That's the only way I see it and it will be hard.
Q: You will be a commentator for the McGregor vs Cerrone fight. How can McGregor loose this fight? (vid 2)
A: If he gets reckless, but I don't think that will happen. He is always very composed when it comes to his striking. I think that Cerrone is more dangerous in the later rounds and McGregor in the early rounds. Maybe Cerrone can use this situation. But I think that McGregor is well prepared for this fight, everyone is talking about his great shape.
Looking at this as a spectator, Cerrone has never been known as a top class fighter, so I think that McGregor will win without any serious trouble.
Q: Cerrone has a decent ground game. What do you think? (vid 2)
A: Well.. it's decent, but it's not a ground game that needs to be feared. I don't think that McGregor has a weaker ground game than Cerrone.
Q: The odds for Cerrone winning are 4,33. Is it a good bet to make? (vid 2)
A: I think you shouldn't make that bet. Anything can happen in a fight of course. But the right bet would be on McGregor by KO.
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