With UFC Macau just around the corner, Petr Yan is gearing up for his highly anticipated showdown with Deiveson Figueiredo. But ahead of the fight, the Russian fighter had some sharp words about a rising star in the bantamweight division, Umar Nurmagomedov.
Yan, never one to mince words, believes Umar’s rapid climb up the rankings has less to do with his UFC achievements and more to do with his famous family name. It’s a bold take from the former champion as he prepares to make his case for another title shot this weekend.
In an interview with Red Corner MMA, Yan credits Umar for being a young and talented fighter but says it’s obvious what helped him climb up the ladder quicker than most.
“His family name helped him, he has a big support behind his back. So I believe, to be fair he needs at least a couple more wins to be a contender for the belt.”
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Umar is currently ranked 2nd in the bantamweight division. Most recently, he secured arguably the biggest win of his career against Cory Sandhagen at UFC on ABC: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov and was supposedly granted a title fight by none other than UFC President Dana White. However, it does not look likely at this point.
The champion, Merab Dvalishvili wants an extended break and plans on fighting in March or April next year. This does not work for Umar as that is the holy month of Ramadan during which he does not fight.
Therefore, a win on Saturday could potentially earn Petr Yan a title shot over Umar Nurmagomedov.
Yan hopes to leapfrog Nurmagomedov
With bantamweight champ Dvalishvili labeling Figueiredo as the most deserving contender for the belt, Yan sees this as his golden opportunity to reenter the title picture.
“Deiveson is a former champ, and Merab’s been saying he’s the only real challenger,” Yan explained. “A win over him puts me right in line for the belt.”
Yan also noted that Dvalishvili appears hesitant to face rising star Umar Nurmagomedov, which might just open the door for him to leapfrog the competition.
Coming off a hard-fought win over Song Yadong, the Russian remains confident despite his recent struggles.
“I feel like I’ve only got one real loss on my record,” Yan said. “I can still hang with the best in the division and fight for the belt again.”
With fighters like Yan and Umar going for the title, the bantamweight division might just surpass the lightweight division as the most stacked division on the UFC roster.
