Who Does Petr Yan Fight Next?

[StonedLemur]

Henry is a draw, Yan very possibly would derail him. This sport isn't about "proving yourself" and "earning title shots", Alex Pereir is the Middleweight champ and Sandhagen vs Chito is for the next title shot when neither can defensively wrestle and have been protected from all the great takedown artists in the division....But Cejudo needs to prove it vs the BW Boogieman? Lol

I think Cejudo is going to surprise some people by wrestle fuckin Aljo.
Aljo is a damn good grappler, but Cejudo is a gold medalist...and you don't get a gold medal by faking being hurt sir.

I think Cejudo beats the top 5 to be totally honest with you.

 

[Mr Fahrenheit]

After the decision loss to Suga it seems like Petr Yan is kind of in a weird spot - with different judges he could be champ, instead he lost a close split to Aljo and was used as a launching board for the Suga Show.

He's 1-3 in his last 4 with the 3 losses being 2 contentious split decisions and a NC in a title fight he was winning, so it's one of those cases where the record is deceiving. He's still inarguably one of the best in the world, but it doesn't seem like the UFC is interested in him as champion based on how things transpired. I know there was rumors from DShill (sorry I meant DC) that he wasn't going to fight again, but I take everything he says with a grain of salt because he just puts out whatever the UFC tells him to.

With the recent Font vs. Yanez announce I wonder what the UFC is going to do with him.

The top 10 is currently:

Champ = Aljo > fighting Cejudo in March?
1 = Suga > sitting out until next Summer?
2 = Yan > lost the decision to Suga in October (no fight announced)
3 = Merab > beat Aldo in August (no fight announced)
4 = Vera > fighting Sandhagen in Febuary
5 = Sandhagen > fighting Vera in February
6 = Font > fighting Yanez in April
7 = Cruz > KO'd by Vera in August (no fight announced)
8 = Yadong > TKO'd by Sandhagen in September (no fight announced)
9 = Munhoz > NC against Suga in July (no fight announced)
10 = Simon > Subbed Jack Shore in July (no fight announced)

So the only realistic opponents for Yan would be:

3 = Merab > beat Aldo in August (no fight announced)
7 = Cruz > KO'd by Vera in August (no fight announced)
8 = Yadong > TKO'd by Sandhagen in September (no fight announced)
9 = Munhoz > NC against Suga in July (no fight announced)
10 = Simon > Subbed Jack Shore in July (no fight announced)

I don't think they'd do Munhoz coming off the NC and being ranked so far back in the top-10. I don't think Yan wants to fight a pressure-wrestler like Simon that is also so far back in the top-10.

The UFC likes to do loser-vs-loser/winner-vs-winner type fights so Cruz or Yadong both seem logical match-ups. Stylistically and name-value it would make way more sense to fight Cruz, so I could see that getting made.

Also the UFC could basically just say "we're going to pretend like you won against Suga and give you a top-5 guy coming off a win i.e. Merab" - by fighting Merab if Yan wins it would eliminate him from contention (something the UFC is keen to do).

So I think most likely would be Cruz or Merab - personally I would prefer to see Cruz because of the style match-up but Merab would be a great fight that would see if Yan is still a contender or not and can come up with new answers to pressure-wrestler/grappler style.

What do you Sherbros think - who do you think Yan is going to fight next and who would you like to see him fight?

Merab is the fight. Win that and he can fight whoever is around in the top five.

 

[StonedLemur]

Don't blame him one bit. He got fked in his last fight. Probably get More money elsewhere

He still has fights on his contract though, and we all know the UFC don't take that lightly sir.
Bunch of greedy little pigs lol.

 

[JonnyBonesPharmacist]

That's true Mr Lemur

 

[TheMMAnalyst]

Hard fight for Yan, especially considering it will probably be a 3 rounder.

Guti has way better striking, footwork and length than Yan. I can see Guti lighting Yan up for 2 rounds and then maybe slowly and getting wrestlefucked but winning 2-1. A Guti knockout in round 2 isn't too far-fetched either.

Did you just say that Chris Gutierrez has better striking/footwork then Petr Yan?



Who is his best win - Vince Morales? Andre Ewell? Felipe Colares? Danaa Batgerel? The Ghost of Frankie Edgar?

I'm not saying Gutierrez isn't a good fighter but he got a draw against Cody Durden two years ago lol - in terms of physical attributes he only has a slight height/reach advantage on Yan and he is significantly slower; in terms of technical attributes he doesn't have better striking and he doesn't have better footwork, plus he's susceptible to being controlled and taken down while relying on a kick-heavy game.

He's also completely unproven against anyone elite and hasn't fought a single top-10 opponent, yet you are claiming he is going to KO a champion-level fighter whose never been KO'd (and is rarely hurt) when he's got 3 KO's in 9 UFC fights with 1 being a TKO via leg kick and 1 being taking Edgar to the glue factory.

I'm not even saying he couldn't win if Yan started slow and had an off night, but some of these statements are borderline delusional.

 

[Banana Tree's Nemesis]

Since the rumor is he's possibly not fighting again, he probably wants to take some time off either way.
I think it makes sense for him to wait a couple months and then see if he could fight Cejudo, Sterling or Vera if he manages to win against Cory.
I guess Merab would be reasonable as well.

 

[HuskySamoan]

I think Cejudo is going to surprise some people by wrestle fuckin Aljo.
Aljo is a damn good grappler, but Cejudo is a gold medalist...and you don't get a gold medal by faking being hurt sir.

I think Cejudo beats the top 5 to be totally honest with you.

I watched Cejudos entire Flyweight career, he couldn't wrestle fuck Benavidez or Jussier Formiga at 125lbs and even when he did somewhat vs DJ, he didn't do it half as dominantly as Cruz did, he arguably lost to DJ in the rematch too. I'm not sure where people get this idea Cejudo can wrestle fuck bigger, better fighters like Yan or Aljo, he couldn't take down Moraes and had to take an ass-kicking on the feet to tire Moraes out so he could start to crack the chin and land on the feet, good on him Moraes has shit cardio....He shrugged Cejudo off his legs like a kindergartener when he tried to take Moraes down though.

Yoel Romero never had great top control and was taken down a bunch in his UFC career, Brunson literally got double unders, lifted and slammed him. There's not loads of guys with Cejudos credentials to compare but Roman Bravo is a 134lb 2x D1 National champion and a shoe in for the Olympic training center and trials if he doesn't choose MMA instead and Aljo lost on points when they wrestled recently 4-6. Roman Bravo beats a 36 year old Cejudo on the wrestling mats today, I'd bet money on it. Also Aljo has kinds mastered turning his failed takedown attempts into back takes because of how prone good wrestlers are to it and Aljo actually has a good guard off his back. I wouldn't be surprised if Cejudo won but it won't be a wrestle fuck, it'll be him pressuring exchanges standing, out speeding, out throwing Aljo and then maybe mixing in opportunistic takedowns in the last minute to help secure rounds.

I think Aljo wins, 3 years off at 36 is just too much at an elite level but Cejudo is a tough stylistic matchup.

 

[StonedLemur]

I watched Cejudos entire Flyweight career, he couldn't wrestle fuck Benavidez or Jussier Formiga at 125lbs and even when he did somewhat vs DJ, he didn't do it half as dominantly as Cruz did, he arguably lost to DJ in the rematch too. I'm not sure where people get this idea Cejudo can wrestle fuck bigger, better fighters like Yan or Aljo, he couldn't take down Moraes and had to take an ass-kicking on the feet to tire Moraes out so he could start to crack the chin and land on the feet, good on him Moraes has shit cardio....He shrugged Cejudo off his legs like a kindergartener when he tried to take Moraes down though.

Yoel Romero never had great top control and was taken down a bunch in his UFC career, Brunson literally got double unders, lifted and slammed him. There's not loads of guys with Cejudos credentials to compare but Roman Bravo is a 134lb 2x D1 National champion and a shoe in for the Olympic training center and trials if he doesn't choose MMA instead and Aljo lost on points when they wrestled recently 4-6. Roman Bravo beats a 36 year old Cejudo on the wrestling mats today, I'd bet money on it. Also Aljo has kinds mastered turning his failed takedown attempts into back takes because of how prone good wrestlers are to it and Aljo actually has a good guard off his back. I wouldn't be surprised if Cejudo won but it won't be a wrestle fuck, it'll be him pressuring exchanges standing, out speeding, out throwing Aljo and then maybe mixing in opportunistic takedowns in the last minute to help secure rounds.

I think Aljo wins, 3 years off at 36 is just too much at an elite level but Cejudo is a tough stylistic matchup.

Yeah we all watched his whole FLW career sir, but he's better at 135 in my opinion.
I think he fucks Aljo up tbh.

Aljo isn't going to be able to just control Cejudo like he does everyone else, and that puts him at a good disadvantage on the feet.
Henry isn't afraid of a dirty war.

 

[Deleted member 591714]

Cruz or Yadong

/thread

 

[Joshuaace]

I think Aljo wins, 3 years off at 36 is just too much at an elite level but Cejudo is a tough stylistic matchup.

I was at the Cejudo/Moraes fight. Henry's willpower crushes Aljo's cardio just like he did to Moraes. At least that's how I see that fight going down.

 

[StonedLemur]

That's true Mr Lemur

Its unfortunate to be honest.
He's a hell of a fighter, but he's definitely being done dirty sir.

 

[HuskySamoan]

I was at the Cejudo/Moraes fight. Henry's willpower crushes Aljo's cardio just like he did to Moraes. At least that's how I see that fight going down.

Moraes is notorious for wilting under pressure and having bad cardio, I wouldn't be so sure. It's a compelling fight.

 

[IneedSometop]

They can do Merab or if he wanted to wait he could do the winner of Yanez-Font

 

[StonedLemur]

Moraes is notorious for wilting under pressure and having bad cardio, I wouldn't be so sure. It's a compelling fight.

Aljo definitely has better cardio than Marlon, but he's not great off his back foot.

If Henry can bring the heat, he might just melt Aljos constitution sir.

 

[HuskySamoan]

Aljo definitely has better cardio than Marlon, but he's not great off his back foot.

If Henry can bring the heat, he might just melt Aljos constitution sir.

I agree, Cejudo definitely showed that kinda dog in him before. But I'll keep saying it, 36 years old after a 3 year layoff..Aljo probably wins.

 

[StonedLemur]

I agree, Cejudo definitely showed that kinda dog in him before. But I'll keep saying it, 36 years old after a 3 year layoff..Aljo probably wins.

I would definitely be inclined to agree with you if Henry had taken a lot of damage or had many fight miles on the odometer, but he really hasn't/don't.

I think he knows how to train, and I think he has been working on hand techniques since he left.
He's not Darren Till, he doesn't come across as someone that doesn't take this stuff serious, know what I mean boss?

 

[Serge421]

Give him Munoz. Easy win.

 

[xhaydenx]

Did you just say that Chris Gutierrez has better striking/footwork then Petr Yan?



Who is his best win - Vince Morales? Andre Ewell? Felipe Colares? Danaa Batgerel? The Ghost of Frankie Edgar?

I'm not saying Gutierrez isn't a good fighter but he got a draw against Cody Durden two years ago lol - in terms of physical attributes he only has a slight height/reach advantage on Yan and he is significantly slower; in terms of technical attributes he doesn't have better striking and he doesn't have better footwork, plus he's susceptible to being controlled and taken down while relying on a kick-heavy game.

He's also completely unproven against anyone elite and hasn't fought a single top-10 opponent, yet you are claiming he is going to KO a champion-level fighter whose never been KO'd (and is rarely hurt) when he's got 3 KO's in 9 UFC fights with 1 being a TKO via leg kick and 1 being taking Edgar to the glue factory.

I'm not even saying he couldn't win if Yan started slow and had an off night, but some of these statements are borderline delusional.

Footwork I definitely give the edge to Guti, although that'll only be for 2 rounds or so. Yan's footwork is very basic, but basic as in he doesn't do anything fancy with it and he's very good at it. You see guys giving Yan lots of trouble in round 1 with their footwork, only to have him walking them down with ease in later rounds. I love watching Yan do this.

The Durden draw was a shame. Durden is a great wrestler though, but I think Guti has improved a lot since then.

You're right that Guti hasn't fought any top fighters yet, but then, Yan's resume wasn't that impressive either before he fought for the belt. Some low level guys, then Jimmie, then a past it Faber and out of his prime Aldo for the belt.

I'm not saying I think Guti would run through Yan, or even beat him, but with the way Guti moves, + his striking + the way Yan starts slow, I give Guti a decent chance of pulling off a 29-28.

it'd be a fun fight either way.

 

[Bradillac]

Imagine thinking Yan was done dirty. Threw away his tittle with an illegal strike, then looked awful in the rematch, and then he was given a fight that everyone thought was a gimme for him, but he ended up being clowned by Sean. One of the biggest downfalls of a champ in recent memory.

 

[TheMMAnalyst]

Footwork I definitely give the edge to Guti, although that'll only be for 2 rounds or so. Yan's footwork is very basic, but basic as in he doesn't do anything fancy with it and he's very good at it. You see guys giving Yan lots of trouble in round 1 with their footwork, only to have him walking them down with ease in later rounds. I love watching Yan do this.

The Durden draw was a shame. Durden is a great wrestler though, but I think Guti has improved a lot since then.

You're right that Guti hasn't fought any top fighters yet, but then, Yan's resume wasn't that impressive either before he fought for the belt. Some low level guys, then Jimmie, then a past it Faber and out of his prime Aldo for the belt.

I'm not saying I think Guti would run through Yan, or even beat him, but with the way Guti moves, + his striking + the way Yan starts slow, I give Guti a decent chance of pulling off a 29-28.

it'd be a fun fight either way.

I disagree about Yan having lots of trouble with guys in round 1, it's kind of revisionist history - until Sterling he'd won the first round against every single UFC opponent: Ishihara, Jin Too Son, Silva de Andrade, Dodson, Rivera, Faber, Aldo. That's 8 first-rounds in a row he wins to start his UFC career and somehow he "always gives away the first round" according to some.

It's definitely pretty crazy/strange that he loses the first round to Sterling both times with Sterling not getting a takedown either time. Yan also lost the first-round to Corey, so I guess there became some sort of narrative around that time painting him as a slow-starter, when he really isn't in 3-round fights - against Aldo in his first 5-rounder is when we saw him fight a slower pace and almost lose the first until he landed that body shot. He was also losing the first against Rivera before he dropped him with like 10 seconds left in the round, but because of the Jellyfish incident (had to travel 20 hours and cut weight after getting badly stung) prior I think it's fair to give him a pass in that one. It's fair to say he starts slow and tends to give away the first in 5-round fights because he feels with his style/approach he'll come on strong late in the fight - which he is 100% right about, he always does. It's just a razor's edge approach against top-level fighters if you don't make those adjustments by the middle of the second.

I think you just highly overrate Gutierrez and his improvements - the fight against Durden was 2 years ago when he was 29 and already had 20+ pro fights, he'd been fighting pro for 7-8 years and basically in his prime. You were saying that realistically you could see Gutierrez catching Yan and finishing him, when again he's never been finished/rarely is hurt (has insane chin) and Gutierrez has an over-inflated KO ratio in 9 fights since it's only 3 with 1 leg kick TKO and the other being Edgar's retirement fight. He isn't a hitter and yet somehow he is going to KO a notoriously tough guy to hurt/finish?

Yan also is incredibly fast comparatively and he'd have more diverse attacks, better defensive layers, better pressure, and just overall a more systematic approach. It would likely look a lot like Nathaniel Wood vs. Charles Jourdain just even more dominant for the slightly smaller but faster/smarter/more diverse fighter.