The UFC's return to Macau looks set to have high stakes in the bantamweight title picture.
Mixed martial arts' leading promotion is set to take the Octagon back to Macau — an autonomous region on the south coast of China — for the first time in a decade later this year, with the Galaxy Arena playing host to a UFC Fight Night card on November 23.
And the lineup looks to have its first major addition in the form of a clash between former champions.
Per Brazilian reporter Léo Guimaraes, ex-bantamweight kingpin Petr Yan (17-5) and former two-time flyweight titleholder Deiveson Figueiredo (24-3-1) are set to meet in a crucial showdown at 135 pounds in Macau.
Yan, Figueiredo Expected To Battle For Potential UFC Title Shot In China
Should this bout be made official, one man could leave Macau with a shot at the bantamweight belt set for down the line.
For Yan, that would present another chance to regain the divisional title. The Russian previously held it prior to a disqualification loss to Aljamain Sterling in 2021. While he subsequently captured interim status, he fell short against "Funk Master" in their rematch.
The tough times continued for Yan in the subsequent months. He first suffered a controversial split decision loss to Sean O'Malley in 2022 before being convincingly outpointed by another then-future champ in Merab Dvalishvili the following year. But having bounced back in style by stalling the charge of Song Yadong at UFC 299 this past March, "No Mercy" is now targeting a return to a win streak for the first time since 2020.
To do so, the Russian standout will have to hand Figueiredo his first defeat at 135 pounds. "Deus Da Guerra" committed to a long-discussed bantamweight switch following the end of his second flyweight rule against Brandon Moreno in early 2023. He's since reeled off three straight wins to rise to #5 in the rankings, defeating Rob Font, Cody Garbrandt, and Marlon Vera.
