Rising UFC Bantamweight Petr Yan Eyes Summer Showdown with Jimmie Rivera

Aside from a split decision loss three years ago, Russia’s Petr Yan has been nearly flawless in his pro MMA career. It was no different on Saturday.

Yan dominated former flyweight title challenger John Dodson in one of the featured bouts of UFC Fight Night 145 in Prague. Other than a knockdown courtesy of a left hook from “The Magician” in the second, Yan was remarkable and made virtually no mistakes in winning a lopsided unanimous decision. He did whatever he wanted against Dodson and improved to 4-0 inside the Octagon. Yan said that he was ready for whatever Dodson brought to the contest.

“My game plan was to use my kicks and then counter with punches,” Yan said after his triumph. “He’s a tough guy and very experienced. I knew if he didn’t go down, I’d have to go the distance. Everything went well. I won, that’s important.

“John was a very difficult opponent,” he said. “He is very short, which makes the fight more complicated. I wanted to attack the body, but he was always moving, so it was very difficult. I was ready for this challenge. I was always keeping him in my range.”

Yan said that he is ready to ascend the ladder at bantamweight, but he knows he needs to be patient. “No Mercy” understands that a title shot won’t come in the near future, but the former Absolute Championship Berkut champ believes he’s got the attention of the UFC and the rest of the MMA world.

“He is No. 9 in the rankings, I’m always glad to fight and win against somebody who is higher ranked than me,” he stated. “This is my fourth win in the UFC, so I’m perfect here. I have to talk to the UFC, but I would like to fight against Jimmie Rivera in June.”

Though Rivera has lost two of his last three bouts and is coming off a decision loss to Aljamain Sterling last week, a clash with Yan would be an intriguing one. And if Yan continues to throttle the opposition inside the Octagon, a chance to add a UFC title to his mantle might come sooner than expected.