Introduction
Petr "No Mercy" Yan is the reigning UFC Bantamweight Champion and one of the most technically refined boxers in MMA history. The Russian striker reclaimed the UFC Bantamweight title at UFC 323 on December 6, 2025 by dethroning Merab Dvalishvili via unanimous decision — joining Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw as only the third fighter ever to win the UFC Bantamweight title twice. His surgical-precision boxing arsenal has made him a top-five pound-for-pound contender heading into 2026.
Contents
Quick Stats
Background
Fighting Style
Career Highlights
Notable Fights & Rivalries
Championships & Accolades
Current Status
Fun Facts
Legacy / Verdict
Frequently Asked Questions
References
Quick Stats
Nickname: No Mercy
Age: 33 (born February 11, 1993)
Height: 5'8" (170 cm)
Reach: 67" (170 cm)
Weight Class: Bantamweight (135 lb)
Stance: Switch
Team: Tiger Muay Thai (Phuket, Thailand) under coach Pavel Fedotov
Pro MMA Record: 20 wins, 5 losses (active, current UFC Bantamweight Champion)
Background
Born February 11, 1993 in Dudinka, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. Yan grew up in challenging working-class circumstances in Siberia and started training boxing as a teenager. He turned professional in MMA in 2014 at age 21 and built his early career on the Russian regional circuit, signing with Russia's Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB) in 2015.
He won the ACB Bantamweight Championship in 2016 and held the title until his UFC signing in 2018. He made his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 137 in September 2018 with a third-round TKO of Teruto Ishihara — Performance of the Night. He trains at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand under longtime head coach Pavel Fedotov, alongside Valentina Shevchenko, Rafael Fiziev, and Arman Tsarukyan.
Fighting Style
Surgical-precision boxing with elite distance management and switch-stance footwork. Yan's pattern is textbook high-guard boxing — head movement combined with one-shot KO power, with the ability to cut angles and time counters that has produced career finishes over Jose Aldo, Cory Sandhagen, and most recently Merab Dvalishvili. The UFC 323 dominance — 60% striking accuracy plus 27-of-29 takedown defense rate against the most accomplished bantamweight wrestler in the division — confirmed his championship-level all-around game has expanded significantly since his first reign in 2020-2021.
His weakness in his earlier title-fight era was the cumulative effect of high-output exchanges with elite cardio fighters. The Aljamain Sterling UFC 259 disqualification (illegal knee), the Sterling UFC 273 close decision, and the 2023 Dvalishvili decision loss all reflected close losses to fighters who could match his pace. The UFC 323 reclaim definitively answered those questions — he kept up with Dvalishvili's championship pace for five rounds and won every striking exchange. The two-time championship resume now places him in the top three answers to "greatest UFC bantamweight ever."
Career Highlights
September 2018 — UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 137 vs Teruto Ishihara. Won by third-round TKO — Performance of the Night.
December 2019 — UFC on ESPN+ 22 vs Urijah Faber. Stopped the UFC Hall of Famer Faber by third-round TKO with a head kick — Performance of the Night.
July 2020 — UFC Bantamweight Champion (first reign). Stopped Jose Aldo at UFC 251 by fifth-round TKO to win the vacant title.
March 2021 — UFC 259 vs Aljamain Sterling. Lost the title via disqualification (illegal knee to a grounded opponent) in round four.
April 2022 — UFC 273 vs Sterling 2. Lost via split decision in the rematch.
October 2022 — UFC 280 vs Sean O'Malley. Lost via controversial split decision — Sherdog 2022 Robbery of the Year.
March 2023 — UFC Fight Night vs Merab Dvalishvili 1. Lost a unanimous decision after Dvalishvili's record 49 takedown attempts.
December 2025 — UFC 323 vs Dvalishvili 2. Reclaimed the UFC Bantamweight title via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) — joining Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw as only the third two-time UFC bantamweight champion.
Notable Fights & Rivalries
vs Merab Dvalishvili (UFC Fight Night 2023, UFC 323 2025)
Two fights, one for each. Dvalishvili won the first by unanimous decision in March 2023 with a record 49 takedown attempts (Yan defended 38); the rematch at UFC 323 in December 2025 was a complete reversal — Yan kept pace with Dvalishvili's relentless wrestling, defended 27 of 29 takedown attempts, scored 5 takedowns of his own, and out-struck the champion at 60% accuracy across five rounds. The rematch ended Dvalishvili's 14-fight winning streak and crowned Yan as a two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion.
vs Aljamain Sterling (UFC 259 2021, UFC 273 2022)
The two-fight series that lost Yan his first UFC title. Yan landed an illegal knee to a grounded Sterling at UFC 259 in March 2021 in round four — losing the title by disqualification in one of the most-discussed UFC title-changes ever. The rematch at UFC 273 in April 2022 ended in a split-decision loss for Yan. Sterling held the title between 2021 and 2023.
vs Jose Aldo (UFC 251, 2020)
The fight that crowned Yan as inaugural Russian UFC bantamweight champion. He stopped the legendary Aldo — the former UFC Featherweight Champion who had moved down to 135 lbs — by fifth-round TKO at UFC 251 to win the vacant title. The result confirmed Yan's championship-level finishing power against an all-time great.
vs Sean O'Malley (UFC 280, 2022)
The 2022 Robbery of the Year. O'Malley took a split decision over Yan in a fight that 25 of 26 media outlets scored for Yan; Sherdog editors named it the 2022 Robbery of the Year. The bout earned Fight of the Night honors and effectively launched O'Malley's path to championship contention while extending Yan's mid-career losing skid.
vs Cory Sandhagen (UFC Fight Night 2021)
A clinical Yan win for the interim title. Yan defeated Sandhagen by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night in October 2021 to win the interim UFC Bantamweight Championship — Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night. The result confirmed Yan's championship-level game in the period between the Sterling losses.
Championships & Accolades
Two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion (July 2020 to March 2021, December 2025 - present).
Joined Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw as only the third two-time UFC bantamweight champion in promotion history.
ACB Bantamweight Champion (2016-2018) — pre-UFC title.
Multiple UFC Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night winner.
UFC interim Bantamweight Championship (2021).
Career UFC win rate of 79.2% (19-5 in UFC competition).
Notable UFC wins over Jose Aldo, Cory Sandhagen, Urijah Faber, Song Yadong, Marlon Vera, and Merab Dvalishvili.
Holds the highest single-fight UFC bantamweight title-fight striking accuracy on record (60% at UFC 323).
Current Status
Active and the reigning UFC Bantamweight Champion. Yan reclaimed the title at UFC 323 on December 6, 2025 by defeating Merab Dvalishvili via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47). The performance — including 60% striking accuracy and 27-of-29 takedown defense — was widely cited by ESPN, CBS Sports, and other outlets as one of the most complete UFC bantamweight title-fight performances of the modern era.
His next opponent has not been formally announced as of May 2026. Strong potential challengers include Sean O'Malley (1-0 in 2026 with the UFC 324 win over Song Yadong), Umar Nurmagomedov (currently in the contender mix), Cory Sandhagen, and Aiemann Zahabi. A Dvalishvili trilogy fight is also widely expected. He continues to train at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket and remains one of the most globally-followed Russian-born UFC champions in promotion history.
Fun Facts
His nickname "No Mercy" reflects his clinical, methodical approach to championship-level fights — opponents and analysts alike note his willingness to chain damage from any position.
Trained at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand under longtime coach Pavel Fedotov — alongside Valentina Shevchenko, her sister Antonina, Rafael Fiziev, and Arman Tsarukyan.
Was the inaugural Russian-born UFC Bantamweight Champion when he won the title from Jose Aldo in July 2020.
Joined Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw as only the third fighter ever to win the UFC Bantamweight title twice when he reclaimed it at UFC 323 in December 2025.
Has 2.43 million Instagram followers and is one of the most-followed Eastern European UFC fighters globally.
His UFC 323 performance was widely cited as one of the most one-sided UFC bantamweight title-fight performances of the modern era — ESPN scored two of the five rounds 10-8 in his favor.
Career UFC purses are reportedly the highest of any active UFC bantamweight in disclosed earnings.
Speaks Russian as his first language and uses an interpreter for English-language UFC interviews.
Legacy / Verdict
Petr Yan is one of the most accomplished UFC bantamweights in promotion history and a near-certain future Hall of Fame Modern Wing inductee. The two championship reigns at 135 lbs make him one of only three two-time UFC bantamweight champions ever (Cruz, Dillashaw, Yan). The career finishing wins over Jose Aldo, Cory Sandhagen, and Merab Dvalishvili cover three different generations of UFC bantamweight challengers; the technical floor he brought to the division between 2018 and 2025 raised the standard for an entire generation of Eastern European fighters.
What complicates the legacy is the disqualification loss at UFC 259 to Aljamain Sterling — a single moment that cost him his first championship reign in the most controversial way possible — and the close losses across 2022-2023 (Sterling, O'Malley, Dvalishvili 1) that produced a three-fight skid before the December 2025 reclaim. The UFC 323 dominance over Dvalishvili definitively answered the questions that the close losses raised; he is now back at the top of the division at 33 years old with a championship trajectory that could extend through multiple defenses in 2026 and beyond. The legacy is permanent and still being written.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Petr Yan still active?
Yes — he is the current and reigning UFC Bantamweight Champion as of December 6, 2025. He won the title for the second time at UFC 323 by defeating Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision in the rematch of their 2023 fight, ending Dvalishvili's 14-fight winning streak and three-fight title-defense run.
What is Petr Yan's professional MMA record?
Twenty wins and five losses across his career. He competed in Russia's Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB) before joining the UFC in 2018, was the ACB Bantamweight Champion before his UFC signing, and has been a top-five UFC bantamweight since his 2019 promotional debut.
Has Petr Yan held the UFC Bantamweight title before?
Yes. He won the vacant UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 251 in July 2020 by stopping Jose Aldo via fifth-round TKO — becoming the inaugural Russian-born UFC bantamweight champion. He lost the title via disqualification at UFC 259 in March 2021 (illegal knee to a grounded Aljamain Sterling) and has since reclaimed it at UFC 323 in December 2025.
What style does Petr Yan fight?
Surgical-precision boxing with elite distance management and switch-stance footwork. Yan's pattern is textbook high-guard boxing with one-shot KO power; his ability to cut angles, time counters, and combine head and body work has made him one of the most technically refined strikers in UFC bantamweight history. The UFC 323 Dvalishvili dominance — including 60% striking accuracy and a 27-of-29 takedown defense rate against the most accomplished bantamweight wrestler in the division — confirmed his championship-level all-around game has expanded since his first reign.
Did Petr Yan beat Sean O'Malley?
By scoring at least, no — although MMA media largely scored the fight in his favor. Their UFC 280 fight on October 22, 2022 ended in a controversial split decision for O'Malley; 25 of 26 media outlets scored the fight for Yan. Sherdog editors named the bout the 2022 Robbery of the Year.
Is Petr Yan in the UFC Hall of Fame?
Not as of 2026. He is currently active as the reigning UFC Bantamweight Champion. He is widely projected to be a Hall of Fame Modern Wing inductee whenever he retires given his two championship reigns.
How tall is Petr Yan?
Five feet eight inches (170 cm), with a 67-inch (170 cm) reach. He competes at bantamweight (135 lb).
Where is Petr Yan from?
Born February 11, 1993 in Dudinka, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. He trains at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand alongside Valentina Shevchenko, Rafael Fiziev, and Arman Tsarukyan.
References
ESPN — Yan ends Dvalishvili's reign, reclaims title in UFC 323 thriller
Al Jazeera — Yan upsets Dvalishvili to capture bantamweight title at UFC 323
Yahoo Sports — UFC 323 results: Petr Yan upsets Merab Dvalishvili in shocking performance