Petr Yan is reportedly staying active in his quest to reclaim the UFC bantamweight crown.
According to a recent report from Cageside Press, Yan is set to return to the Octagon on July 26 at UFC Abu Dhabi, where he’ll face rising bantamweight contender Marcus McGhee at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, United Arab Emirates.
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“No Mercy” last stepped into the Octagon at UFC Macau in November, where he secured a dominant unanimous decision victory over former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, marking his second straight win following a strong performance against Song Yadong at UFC 299.
The back-to-back triumphs marked a crucial turnaround for the former 135-pound champion, who had previously endured a three-fight skid, including a split decision loss in his title rematch with Aljamain Sterling at UFC 273 in April 2022. Yan boasts a 10-4 record inside the Octagon, with four of those victories earned by knockout.
Meanwhile, McGhee is riding a wave of momentum after a commanding unanimous decision victory over Jonathan Martinez at UFC 309 last November. Since making his promotional debut in April 2023, “The Maniac” has been unstoppable, boasting an impressive four-fight winning streak, with three of those wins coming by finishes.
What Does the UFC Abu Dhabi Lineup Currently Look Like?
UFC Abu Dhabi will be headlined by a pivotal middleweight showdown as former champion Robert Whittaker is set to square off against fast-rising contender Reinier de Ridder.
Here are the officially confirmed matchups for the upcoming Fight Night event:
- Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder; middleweight
- Shara Magomedov vs. Marc-Andre Barriault; middleweight
- Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee; bantamweight
- Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov; light heavyweight
- Asu Almabayev vs. Ramazan Temirov; flyweight
- Ibo Aslan vs. Billy Elekana; light heavyweight
