Sportsmanship shown: Song Yadong and Petr Yan's backstage embrace post rollercoaster UFC 299 clash in Florida
Petr Yan and Song Yadong provided fans with another example of how martial arts revolves around respect.
After their three-round war in the main card opener of UFC 299, Yan and Yadong embraced each other in what appeared to be the lobby of the fighter hotel. In the video released to social media, Yan was seen hugging his 26-year-old opponent with a big smile as both fighters' coaches looked on.
The moment was captured hours after the two bantamweights put on a bonus-worthy fight on the pay-per-view card in Miami featuring 233 combined total strikes and 185 combined significant strikes. All three judges scored the fight identically, giving round one to Yadong and the final two to Yan.
With the win, Yan snapped a three-fight losing streak and picked up his first win since 2021. The win was also Yan's first non-title fight victory since knocking out Yadong's coach Urijah Faber in 2019.
The loss for Yadong ended a two-fight win streak comprising wins over Ricky Simón and Chris Gutierrez. 'The King Fu Kid' fell to 21-8 but gained a significant number of fans with his high-level performance.
Petr Yan reacts after beating Song Yadong at UFC 299
It has been a rough two years for Petr Yan since last picking up a win in the octagon but 'No Mercy' is finally back to winning ways with a decision victory over Song Yadong on March 9.
Following the conclusion of the fight, Yan expressed his relief on social media, reflecting the thoughts of his fans. With just two words, the former bantamweight champion let the rest of the division know he was 'back.'
Yan gave his fans a brief scare early by losing round one before picking up his activity in round two per his status quo. The live odds on the broadcast at the beginning of round two showed Song Yadong as a -200 favorite.
However, per Yan's message, the bantamweight put on a vintage performance to show off his full arsenal including crisp boxing technique, incredible durability and creative takedowns with top control.