“Time for a** whooping is coming soon” – Petr Yan gives SAVAGE response to Chito Vera accusing Russian of ‘ducking’

Petr Yan returned from a one-year layoff to defeat Song Yadong in a three-round fight at UFC 299. Breaking his three-fight losing streak, he caught the attention of Marlon Vera. Bantamweight peer Vera fought on the same card but lost out in the headliner title fight. ‘Chito’ naturally felt the urge to call Yan out, given that they ranked next to each other. Now, the rival has obliged.

After a non-dominant performance, ‘Chito’ Vera thought it appropriate to work his way up to the title yet again. UFC 299’s big winner, Petr Yan, was the answer. Speaking to MMAFighting on SBN, he wanted to rebound in November. Yan had accepted the callout to fight. However, he later revealed a ruptured ACL, which irked Vera to the point of blaming him for ducking. Yan fired back at Chito once he got to learn what happened.

Let’s be honest, if we had fought earlier, you would never have made it to the title fight. Everything has its time, and the time for your whooping is coming soon @chitoveraUFC...

Petr Yan via X

Not only did Yan (17-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) fend off Song Yadong’s definitive striking, but he did so with an injury sustained in the fight. He later lauded Alexander Volkanovski on noticing that he fought on with an injured leg. A meniscus tear and groin injury also ail him. The typical recovery frame of a torn ACL in the knee is nearly a year. Hence, Vera’s frustration is somewhat granted.

However, his tweet is proof of his ready resolve; ‘No Mercy’ indeed. The Russian had already told KPSport that he was “absolutely ready” to face Vera. Hence, such sneers do not sit well. He also jibed Marlon Vera would have never fought for the title had they fought earlier; quite the shades of UFC not offering Ilia Topuria up to Max Holloway. This build-up could be set up to be one for the ages.

How many fights away is Petr Yan from a title shot?

Petr Yan is a mixed-bag kind of case in the current bantamweight title contention scene. He had to overcome a handful of injuries to snap his three-fight losing skid at UFC 299. In the current running, he is 1-3 in his last outings and has lost to all the main staples of the division – like Merab Dvalishvili, Sean O’Malley, and Aljamain Sterling. Now, with Sterling vacating his stake in the division at UFC 300, Yan is the #3 ranked bantamweight. Hence, the Russian has received callouts from Marlon Vera, who is just a lower rank.

The shouts from ‘Chito’ and a win over Song Yadong prove he is still well into the game. Yan already boasts wins over big names like Cory Sandhagen, Jose Aldo, Urijah Faber, and others. He went on a 7-win streak since his debut before losing to Sterling. He is 2-2 in his 4 title affairs. Marlon Vera, on the other hand, is fresh off a title contention against ‘Suga.’ Hence, a clash with Vera only places him further in the title picture.

Yan is probably one or two fights away from a clear shot at the gold. That means he will need to face someone after fighting Vera. The path back to the title might make him fight rising star Umar Nurmagomedov in the near future. Fighters refuse to fight Umar, as revealed by Dana White and Ali Abdelaziz. As such, no one can deny him a title shot if he can defeat Umar.

In case you missed it:

• “I can fight wherever he wants,” Umar Nurmagomedov feels Merab Dvalishvili poses no ‘THREAT’ despite dominant wins over Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo
• Petr Yan Net Worth 2024: How rich is the former Russian champion?

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