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Current and two-time UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan has discussed whether he plans to move up to featherweight or move down to flyweight in pursuit of two-division glory.
Yan recaptured the 135-pound title last year at UFC 323 by dethroning Merab Dvalishvili in their rematch. Later this month, at UFC 333, he will make the first defense of his second reign against Dvalishvili in their trilogy bout.
[Image via UFC on Instagram]“No Mercy” had lower back surgery in early 2026 and was therefore unable to defend his title in the first, second, or third quarter of 2026. But now, the Russian is ready to dismantle “The Machine” again.
Most recently, during a sit-down with Full Violence, Petr Yan opined that moving up a weight class ‘sounds interesting to him’ and that he has no interest in going down to challenge flyweight titleholder Joshua Van.
However, Yan currently has no interest in fighting his friend Alexander Volkanovski, the current and two-time UFC featherweight champion. As a result, a move up to 145-pounds doesn’t appear to be on his radar right now, and he would rather wait until “The Great” retires.
“You know, if someone’s gonna move up and challenge me, it’s maybe a question for them… But personally, moving up sounds interesting too… Yeah, just 145 champ is my friend Alex Volkanovski, so I don’t wanna beat him up.”
Check out Petr Yan’s plans below:
Petr Yan would rather move up to 145 than fight Joshua Van moving up to 135, but refuses to fight friend Alexander Volkanovski
"You know, if someone's gonna move up and challenge me, it's maybe a question for them… But personally, moving up sounds interesting too… Yeah, just… pic.twitter.com/F3LjLrj8MJ
Meanwhile, Volkanovski has admitted that if things go horribly wrong at UFC 333 and he takes a ton of damage against Movsar Evloev, he might hang up the gloves.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 01: (R-L) Diego Lopes of Brazil punches Alexander Volkanovski of Australia in the UFC featherweight championship fight during the UFC 325 event at Qudos Bank Arena on February 01, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)Petr Yan and Alexander Volkanovski Both Set to Defend UFC Gold on Same Night
At UFC 333, after the Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili 3 bantamweight title bout, Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight strap against the undefeated Movsar Evloev.
Check out the UFC 333 card below:
Subham is a writer and editor with experience spanning MMA, Health & Fitness, true crime, and pop culture. He has previously worked with Sportskeeda MMA, SK True Crime, and SK Pop, Movies, and Shows.
He currently covers the UFC for LowKickMMA and MMA Pros Picks.
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