Petr Yan wants double champ status! Current batamweight king Petr Yan is eyeing up double champ status but has one stipulation in order for it to become reality, Alexander Volkanovski is sitting firmly on the featherweight throne and as long as that is the case, Yan has made it clear he will not be moving up Both have had a long standing friendship and have shared many rounds in the gym all over the world with Yan feeling he would feel bad beating up Volkanovski The pair share the UFC 333 Main and co main event slot with Petr Yan finishing the trilogy with Merab Dvalishvili and Volkanovski taking on undefeated Russian wrestler Movsar Evloev @kalshi gives Petr Yan a 62% chance of being champion by the end of the year
Petr Yan has ruled out a move up to featherweight for as long as Alexander Volkanovski holds that title, closing the door on a double-champion bid that would require him to fight a close friend.
The bantamweight champion is said to be interested in becoming a two-division titleholder, but he has attached one condition to the idea. With Volkanovski firmly in place on the featherweight throne, Yan will not make the jump. The two have trained together in gyms around the world over the years, and Yan feels he would be uncomfortable beating up a friend.
Both men are due to compete at UFC 333, where they share the main and co-main event slots. Yan is set to complete his trilogy with Merab Dvalishvili, while Volkanovski faces the undefeated Russian wrestler Movsar Evloev.
Yan, 33, is the reigning bantamweight champion with a record of 20-5-0. The Russian fights out of Archangel Michael Club and works from a switch stance. He lands 5.12 significant strikes per minute at 54 percent accuracy and averages 1.58 takedowns per 15 minutes, though he rarely hunts submissions.
Volkanovski, 38, is the featherweight champion and is ranked third in the pound-for-pound standings. The Australian, who trains at Freestyle Fighting Gym, is 28-4-0. He lands 5.99 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy and averages 1.63 takedowns per 15 minutes. His 71-inch reach is four inches longer than Yan's.
Why it matters
- A Yan move to 145 pounds would have set up a champion-versus-champion fight with a friend; he has now made clear that will not happen while Volkanovski holds the belt.
- Both men have significant fights first at UFC 333, and the outcomes could reshape their divisions.
- Prediction market Kalshi gives Yan a 62 percent chance of being champion by the end of the year.
