Petr Yan is hoping to secure the next bantamweight title shot at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Yan is set to take on McGhee in an intriguing fight, as the American is taking a massive step-up in competition. Although Yan could have gotten a title shot, he took this fight to cement himself as the next title contender.
“I’m hoping for that, I think it’s the right thing to do. I don’t think there’s anybody who is ranked higher that deserves this more than I do. I think with a competent win this Saturday, I’ll make sure to cement my place as the next contender,” Yan said at UFC Abu Dhabi media day.
Yan enters the bout as a sizeable favorite and is confident he will be able to beat McGhee. He’s also open to getting into a fire fight to excite the fans and prove he’s the next title contender.
“If I see the opportunity for it I’m definitely not going to shy away from a fire fight,” Yan said. “I’m definitely going to stand and strike. I know I have the skills, so I’ll be looking for openings and the opportunity to catch him and implement my game. Hopefully it works out and I’ll knock him out.”
Petr Yan eager to watch bantamweight title fight
If Petr Yan does KO Marcus McGhee as he believes, he likely would earn a title shot.
However, he isn’t sure who he would be fighting, as he does believe Cory Sandhagen has a better chance to beat Merab Dvalishvili than some think.
“Definitely an interesting fight,” Yan said. “Definitely will be watching it. I’m happy to be a backup if needed for this fight. I think that Merab is definitely going to push his rhythm, push his pace, push his style and make an uncomfortable style. But Sandhagen also has a chance. I think he has a chance to win.”
Petr Yan is 18-5 as a pro and coming off back-to-back wins over Deiveson Figueiredo and Song Yadong.