"That is the pinnacle of MMA" - Cody Stamann reveals who he believes is the true top P4P fighter in the world 

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Petr Yan (left), Cody Stamann (center), Jon Jones (right) [Images courtesy: @petr_yan @codystamann @jonnybones on Instagram]

Cody Stamann believes Petr Yan is the current pound-for-pound best MMA fighter in the world.

This may come as a surprise to many, as Kamaru Usman is currently ranked at the top of the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings. Yan, meanwhile, is only at No.11.

However, the reasoning for Yan's low place on the pound-for-pound ladder is likely due to his disqualification against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259 last March.

Speaking in an interview with Sherdog's Tudor Leonte, Stamann revealed that after watching Yan and Cory Sandhagen fight for the interim bantamweight title at UFC 267, he became convinced there is no better fighter on the planet than 'No Mercy'.

"Last night I watched Petr Yan-Cory Sandhagen fight. Honestly, I watched that fight and I think that's the pinnacle of MMA. That's two guys that fight well from both stances, move their feet well, both hit hard. They can both grapple, they can do everything and they do everything well, as well as anyone in any sport. In my eyes, Petr Yan is pound-for-pound the best MMA fighter in the world. People will argue... say that it's Jon Jones, it's all these guys, but if you take Petr Yan and put him in any other weight class but being relatively the same size as anyone else, he absolutely destroyed everyone."

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Cody Stamann on Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan 2

Despite Cody Stamann's praise for interim titleholder Petr Yan, he is not completely counting reigning champion Aljamain Sterling out of their upcoming rematch for the title.

"Aljamain Sterling is an exceptional grappler. He's very, very good. If he can take your back, I've been there, if he can take your back, it's basically over. He submitted Cory Sandhagen in 50 seconds or something like that. So Aljamain has that X factor. He will adjust. But the longer this fight goes the more it favors Petr Yan. I really think it's going to be hard for Sterling to get those positions on Petr Yan. I don't think he has another way to win."

Check out the full interview below:

Yan and Sterling are set to collide in a blockbuster unification showdown at UFC 273 in April.

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