"I hope he did it on purpose" - Petr Yan on ring announcer Joe Martinez calling him a 'two-time bantamweight champion' at UFC 267
![Joe Martinez (left) and Petr Yan (right) [Image credits: @ufc and @joemartinez on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/11/14037-16358727392863-1920.jpg?w=500)
Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen went to war in the co-main event of UFC 267 last weekend.
The fight clearly showed the high-level skills possessed by both elite bantamweights. The back-and-forth contest was awarded the Fight of the Night honor.
Yan ended up winning the contest via unanimous decision and became the new UFC interim bantamweight champion.
One thing that stood out post-fight was that UFC announcer Joe Martinez called 'No Mercy' a two-time bantamweight champion, instead of the interim bantamweight champion.
Yan recently made an appearance on MMA journalist Ariel Helwani's The MMA Hour. During the interaction, he was asked about the strange incident. The Russian responded by saying that he hoped Martinez called him a two-time champ on purpose. Via a translator, Yan said:
"Yes, I heard it. I hope he didn't make a mistake, he did it on purpose."
Catch Petr Yan's appearance on The MMA Hour below:
Petr Yan is expected to unify the bantamweight title against Aljamain Sterling
After becoming the interim bantamweight champion, the next logical step for Petr Yan would obviously be to unify the title in a rematch against Aljamain Sterling.
UFC president Dana White seems to be thinking along the same lines. In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, White showered praise on Yan for his incredible performance at UFC 267. He also expressed his excitement for the possible rematch with 'Funk Master'.
"[Petr Yan] is a bad boy man. I'm looking very forward to the rematch between him and Sterling. He just keeps coming forward. He just keeps putting pressure on you. Rips you to the body, rips you to the head, like the Terminator. He doesn't stop. Absolute savage. He shines in that division."
Catch TMZ Sports' interview with Dana White below:
Yan and Sterling first fought at UFC 259. The fight ended on a controversial note after Yan landed an illegal knee on a grounded Sterling, resulting in 'No Mercy' being disqualified. With the DQ, 'Funk Master' was crowned the new bantamweight champion.