Petr Yan vs Jose Aldo confirmed for vacant UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 251
UFC President Dana White has officially confirmed a host of fights for the recently announced UFC Fight Island. One of the highly-awaited clashes which will take place is a Bantamweight bout between Petr Yan and Jose Aldo, with the winner walking away as the newly crowned UFC Bantamweight Champion.
The UFC Bantamweight Championship was initially vacated in the aftermath of UFC 249. Henry Cejudo announced his retirement from the sport after successfully retaining the strap against Dominick Cruz at the event, in a fight that ended in a rather controversial TKO.
Petr Yan vs Jose Aldo confirmed for the vacant UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 251
UFC President, Dana White confirmed on Tuesday that the Petr Yan vs Jose Aldo fight will finally take place at UFC 251, which is the first event to take place on the UFC Fight Island in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Former UFC Bantamweight Champion, Henry Cejudo confirmed his retirement from the sport after successfully retaining the title over former champion Dominick Cruz in the co-main event of UFC 249. However, in the post-fight Octagon interview, 'Triple C' announced that he would be stepping down from fighting.
Amid his retirement announcement, UFC has now officially booked a fight between Petr Yan and Jose Aldo, which will be contested for the vacant UFC Bantamweight Title. The announcement was eventually confirmed by ESPN's Ariel Helwani, along with a few other top-notch fights which have been confirmed for UFC 251.
Jose Aldo and Petr Yan's last outings in the Octagon
Jose Aldo was last seen in Octagon action at UFC 245 when he made his debut in the Bantamweight Division but unfortunately, ended up losing his first fight at 135 to Marlon Moraes. The Brazilian previously suffered a loss to Alexander Volkanovski, as well, however, did secure a huge win over Renato Moicano in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 144.
As for Yan, the top Bantamweight sensation also last competed at UFC 245 when he brushed off veteran fighter, Urijah Faber, via a third-round TKO to secure another impressive win in the Octagon.
Come July 11, Yan and Aldo will fight out for the vacant UFC Bantamweight strap, with the winner possibly defending the title against Aljamain Sterling, who recorded a submission win over Cory Sandhagen at the recently concluded UFC 250 pay-per-view.
As for the UFC Bantamweight Division, the 135-pound rankings is currently stacked with top names including Cody Garbrandt, Sean O'Malley (both of whom were also victorious at UFC 250), and Raphael Assuncao, who despite a loss, remains a top contender.