Petr Yan defeated Deiveson Figueiredo by unanimous decision at UFC Macau, earning his second consecutive win and positioning himself for a potential title shot against bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili.
Petr Yan scored a significant victory over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau, thrusting himself back into the bantamweight title conversation. It was a thrilling five-round battle, with Yan securing a unanimous decision win—though the 50-45 scores don’t quite capture the closeness of some rounds.
This win marks Yan’s first streak since 2020, adding to his recent victories over Figueiredo and Song Yadong. “I felt I led the fight, but anything can happen in the UFC,” Yan remarked post-fight, calling out 135-pound champ Merab Dvalishvili for a rematch. He challenged, “Merab, what do you say now?”
The former champ aimed to halt Figueiredo’s unbeaten run in the division. Yet, despite Figueiredo’s strong ground game in Round 1, Yan managed to invert and control the top position, landing short hammerfists and elbows.
In Round 2, Yan introduced body kicks while evading takedowns, eventually sweeping Figueiredo to the ground. As Round 3 kicked off, Yan troubled Figueiredo with calf kicks and a brutal right uppercut, leading to a ground-and-pound assault.
Round 4 saw a wild scramble ending with Figueiredo pressing Yan against the cage. Despite being knocked down briefly by Figueiredo, Yan rebounded quickly, closing the round with another body shot exchange.
Entering Round 5 needing a finish, Figueiredo’s corner urged him to keep Yan guessing. Yet, it was Yan who landed better shots and missed a spinning back elbow that left Figueiredo grinning. The bout ended with both exchanging punches fiercely.
After losing for the first time at bantamweight, Figueiredo congratulated Yan in the octagon. Previously undefeated in this division over notable fighters like Rob Font and Cody Garbrandt, he vowed to return stronger: “Holy sh*t, brother,” he said. “Hats off to Petr Yan… tomorrow I’ll come back better.”
For full UFC Macau results, click here.