Fans react to the possibility of Petr Yan leaving the UFC and signing with ONE Championship
Will Petr Yan be the latest UFC fighter to move to ONE Championship?
Several fans online already believe that the former UFC bantamweight champion is bound for ONE after Daniel Cormier suggested the Russian’s supposed growing displeasure with the North American-based promotion.
‘No Mercy’ recently lost a highly controversial split decision to Sean O’Malley. This marks the second straight fight where Yan ended up on the short end of a verdict that caused much dispute.
Shortly after the fight, Cormier had this to say on the most recent episode of DC & RC:
"Petr Yan is so disappointed in this decision. Petr Yan is so disappointed in the decision against Aljo that I'm hearing word that this guy may want to look at something different down the line in terms of his career because he just does not feel like maybe the organization doesn't have his back. It's crazy."
Watch Daniel Cormier’s revelation, beginning at the 40:16 mark, below:
Meanwhile, several MMA fans are already salivating at the idea of adding a proven killer like Yan to ONE’s stacked bantamweight ranks.
Below are some of the best comments from a Reddit thread.
One excited fan noted that the Russian could go up against the two fighters who competed for the ONE bantamweight world title at ONE on Prime Video 3 last week:
“I think Yan vs [John] Lineker or [Fabricio] Andrade. Oooo sounds like fire.”
A couple of fans also hinted at superfights against arguably two of the best fighters in the promotion, ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson and ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon:
“Yan vs DJ in ONE?”
“Just in general, One would be a great fit for Yan. Would love to see him against Rodtang.”
Others agreed that Yan would be perfectly suited for the innovative global mixed martial arts ruleset that ONE employs:
“Honestly I hope he goes to ONE. There’s great fights for him there (and events don’t cost $80 to watch) and the UFC gets more competition from other promotions. I think this is a win for fans and the sport.”
Petr Yan already has ties with ONE through Tiger Muay Thai
There's also another reason why Petr Yan could be enticed to move to the ONE banner. He's become a regular at the legendary Tiger Muay Thai Gym in Phuket, Thailand, which is home to several of the biggest names in ONE Championship.
Yan frequently trains with several of the promotion’s best fighters, including interim ONE heavyweight world champion Anatoly Malykhin and rising star Fabricio Andrade, among others.
Just recently, the 29-year-old worked with Malykhin to present a gift to their Tiger Muay Thai striking coach John Hutchinson.
Watch the amazing gesture by the two generous Russians below: