Petr Yan shares what he whispered in Deiveson Figueiredo's ear during their first UFC Macau faceoff: "I'm not playing any mind games"
Petr Yan ended a three-fight losing streak in March, defeating Song Yadong via unanimous decision at UFC 299. The former bantamweight champion is set to return to the octagon this weekend as he faces Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event of UFC Macau.
During the first faceoff between the fighters, which took place on Tuesday, 'No Mercy' whispered something to his opponent. Speaking to Mike Heck of MMA Fighting via a translator, the No.3-ranked bantamweight revealed:
"I just told him it's going to be a very hard and tough night for him that he's never faced before... I'm not bluffing. I'm not playing any mind games. I just honestly believe that he's never faced anything like he's going to face this Saturday night and he's never had any challenges as I've had."
Check out Petr Yan's comments on what he whispered to Deiveson Figueiredo below:
The matchup could have significant implications for the bantamweight title picture. While Umar Nurmagomedov appears to be next in line, he will not compete in March due to Ramadan. Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili has shared that he wants his first title defense in March.
'The Machine' previously suggested that Figueiredo is deserving of a title opportunity. The former flyweight champion has won three consecutive bouts since moving up a weight class.
While Yan was on a three-fight losing streak before his recent victory, the losses came against the division's three most recent champions. If he can get past 'Deus da Guerra', he could receive the opportunity to attempt to avenge his one-sided loss to Dvalishvili, which took place at UFC Fight Night 221 last March.
Petr Yan believes he could receive a title shot with a victory
Petr Yan has been looking to recapture the bantamweight title since becoming the first fighter to lose a belt via disqualification at UFC 259 in March 2021. He recently shared that he believes he has the opportunity to re-enter the title picture if he can get past Deiveson Figueiredo this weekend.
Speaking to UFC News via a translator, 'No Mercy' claimed:
"To be honest, I feel like I only have one real loss on my record. I believe that I'll be able to compete with all of the top guys and still challenge for a belt... Deiveson is a former champ, and also current champ Merab has been saying that he's the only real deserving challenger for his belt. So for me, it's a good opportunity for me to get this position, to beat him and also challenge for the belt instead of him."
Check out Petr Yan's comments on receiving the next bantamweight title shot below:
Yan later added that he believes his upcoming bout is a No.1 contender fight. He claimed that Dvalishvili is avoiding Umar Nurmagomedov, while adding that the latter may need another win to earn a title opportunity.