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Petr Yan recently revealed who he wants to fight at the end of 2024. Between April 2022 and March 2023, Yan endured a rough patch in his fighting career, as he suffered three consecutive losses to Aljamain Sterling (split decision), Sean O'Malley (split decision) and Merab Dvalishvili (unanimous decision).
Earlier today, Yan took to X/Twitter and teased his return to the Octagon by saying:
"I want to fight on the last ppv card of the year"
One fan took to the comment section and asked Yan the following question:
"Who would you like to fight, Petr?"
Petr Yan responded by calling out number five-ranked Deiveson Figueiredo:
"Figeredo"
In March, the former UFC bantamweight champion bounced back with a five-round war against Song Yadong, which Yan won by unanimous decision. Now holding the number three ranking, 'No Mercy' hopes to fight for a second time in 2024 in a bid to solidify his spot at the top of the bantamweight division, and possibly make another run at the title, which is currently held by Sean O'Malley.
As things stand, the last UFC pay-per-view of 2024 is scheduled for Dec. 7 (UFC 310), but doesn't have an official location and venue. Another PPV event isn't expected to be added, as last year's final card occurred on Dec. 16 and currently, a fight night event is booked for Dec. 14 of this year.
Where do Petr Yan and Deiveson Figueiredo stand in UFC's bantamweight division?
Petr Yan silenced his doubters with an impressive performance against Song Yadong. With that said, Yan must make a statement in his next two fights to secure a bantamweight title shot, as he holds losses against both the champion in Sean O'Malley, as well as the number one contender in Merab Dvalishvili.
Meanwhile, Deiveson Figueiredo moved up to bantamweight after holding the UFC flyweight title. Since then, 'Deus da Guerra' has proven that he's a legitimate contender at 135 pounds by taking out Rob Font (unanimous decision), Cody Garbrandt (second-round submission) and Chito Vera (unanimous decision).
Even if Yan and Figueiredo fight, it's unclear if the winner will receive a title shot. O'Malley and Dvalishvili will clash in the UFC 306 main event on Sept. 14. Regardless of who wins, number two-ranked Umar Nurmagomedov is expected to challenge the winner.
