Henry Cejudo says Petr Yan has a better takedown defense than Israel Adesanya

Petr Yan (left), Henry Cejudo (center), and Israel Adesanya (right) [Images courtesy of Getty]

Henry Cejudo recently stated that Petr Yan has a better takedown defense than Israel Adesanya.

While talking to 'The Schmo' on The Triple C & Schmo Show, Cejudo opined that Yan has a semi-good takedown defense:

"It's semi, his takedown defense is semi, if you ask me. He's got a semi-defense."

Watch The Triple C & Schmo Show below:

When asked who he believes is better at defending takedowns between Yan and Israel Adesanya, Cejudo sided with the interim bantamweight champion:

"Probably better than Israel, yeah. Probably better than Israel. He seems a little more comfortable there."

View this post on Instagram

Instagram Post

However, Cejudo pointed out that Yan has to combine his striking with his grappling to get a win against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 273 this weekend.

'No Mercy' managed to get several good positions on the ground in his first fight against Sterling. However, he was unable to use them to his advantage or secure a submission. 'Triple C' feels it's better for the Russian to stick to his strong stand-up game and mix up the grappling when needed.

Watch Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling 1 below:

Can Petr Yan regain his title this weekend against Aljamain Sterling?

Yan is set to take on Aljamain Sterling in a rematch this weekend. The bantamweight title unification bout will take place in the co-main event of the UFC 273 pay-per-view.

The duo previously fought at UFC 259. After a competitive start to the contest, then-champion Yan took over the fight and was seemingly on the way to defending his belt. However, he landed an illegal knee in the fourth round that saw him disqualified and lose his title in the process.

Watch Sterling's post-fight interview after UFC 259:

On Saturday, the Russian fighter will finally have the chance to regain his belt and become a two-time bantamweight champion.

Meanwhile, Sterling has been the subject of constant backlash from fans since winning the belt in a controversial manner at UFC 259. Despite that, 'Funk Master' remains an elite fighter in the 135lbs division of the UFC.

It will be interesting to see which fighter emerges victorious in the co-main event of UFC 273 this weekend.