Daniel Cormier shared some insider information about the possible future of Petr Yan.
In the wake of UFC 280, there has been much said about the bantamweight fight between Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley. The former bantamweight champion was defeated by the number 11-ranked O’Malley in a very close split decision. Immediately following the bout fans and fellow fighters around the world took to social media to express their feelings on the decision. Many felt that the decision should have gone Yan’s way, including Yan himself.
In the new rankings, O’Malley has jumped up to the number one contender spot with Yan slipping to number two. Daniel Cormier spoke about how he saw the fight playing out on a recent episode of his show DC and RC on ESPN. He explained how he felt the judges were influenced by O’Mally’s experience and that he had scored the bout for Yan.
“I thought Sean O’Malley fought well,” he said. “He’s earned a massive amount of respect. But I did believe that Petr Yan won the fight, I thought Petr did enough to win the fight. And speaking of Petr’s manager, Ryan, he didn’t get to that point. He actually thought they had won the fight comfortably. So many people, I have spoken to fighters around the world since the decision, and all of them agree they thought that Petr Yan won the fight. They think that the judges were judging the fight based on Sean O’Malley, he’s not supposed to be this competitive.”
Fuck the judges!
— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) October 22, 2022
Daniel Cormier thinks Petr Yan could be so upset that he leaves the UFC
Cormier revealed that the loss may have hit Yan harder than anyone knew about. Yan is a former champion who lost his belt in a disqualification to Aljamain Sterling back in 2021. Since losing his belt, he has a record of 1-2. Yan is said to be one of the best strikers in the UFC and despite his past successes in the promotion, Cormier feels he might be looking for a change.
“Ryan, a little inside baseball, Petr Yan is so disappointed in this decision,” he said. “Petr Yan is so disappointed in the decision against Aljo (meant O’Malley), that I’m hearing word that this guy may want to look at something different down the line in terms of his career because he just does not feel like, maybe the organization doesn’t have his back. It’s crazy.”
Yan is still right at the top of the rankings and could possibly align himself with another title shot after a few wins. With his immense striking skills, the boxing path could also be an option for him. Yan has not spoken out on these allegations from Cormier at this time, nor has given any clues about his future following the loss.
