Petr Yan just made a major statement and has finally settled his trilogy with Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 with a unanimous decision win after a hard-fought 25-minute battle. And now Dana White has given fans another reason to wonder if the UFC could be heading back to Russia. The UFC CEO has confirmed that no discussions have taken place about hosting an event in the country, but he also admitted that it might be time to consider the idea.

During the UFC 333 post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked whether Russia could be a destination for a future UFC event, considering the country’s history of producing some of the sport’s biggest stars.

“There hasn’t been (any talks), no,” he said. “But it’s a good question. We have not talked about doing an event in Russia. But yeah, we probably should.”

Dana White’s comments don’t mean a UFC event in Russia is anywhere close to happening, but at least the idea is on his radar. The promotion held three events in the country, with shows in Moscow at Olimpiyskiy Arena in September 2018 and CSKA Arena in November 2019, along with an event at Saint Petersburg’s Yubileyny Sports Palace in April 2019.

However, things have changed since the UFC last visited the country. The Russia-Ukraine conflict, which escalated in 2022, has complicated international sporting and business activities involving the country. The UFC hasn’t held an event in Russia since 2019, meaning any potential return would have to account for the current circumstances before the promotion could bring the Octagon back.

Real American Freestyle (RAF) recently made headlines after bringing its wrestling show to Russia in late September. The American-backed promotion held the event at Arena Mytishchi, but getting the show off the ground wasn’t exactly straightforward.

RAF had to make a last-minute venue change after reports emerged that holding RAF Moscow at the originally planned VTB Arena could have violated US sanctions against Russia. The venue is owned by VTB Bank, which is reportedly a subsidiary of BM-Bank.

Both VTB Bank and BM-Bank are subject to US sanctions that restrict American individuals and companies from doing business with them, unless specific authorization applies. Similar hurdles could come into play if the UFC seriously considers returning to Russia.

Putting on a major numbered event involves much more than booking an arena, with venue deals, sponsorships, broadcasting agreements, and other business arrangements potentially running into sanctions-related restrictions.

Still, Russia has a pretty significant place in UFC history. Oleg Taktarov was one of the promotion’s early tournament winners, defeating David ‘Tank’ Abbott in the final of the UFC 6 tournament. Years later, Khabib Nurmagomedov took things to another level, retiring undefeated after a legendary run as lightweight champion and cementing his place among the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen.

Islam Makhachev has continued that legacy, capturing titles in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions. Petr Yan has also established himself as one of Russia’s biggest UFC stars, earning a reputation for his sharp striking and tough battles against the best bantamweights in the world.

With ‘No Mercy’ coming off a successful title defense at UFC 333, the prospect of watching him fight in front of his home crowd could be an appealing one for the UFC. In fact, he has already proposed a location if the UFC decides to return to his home country.

Petr Yan has a Russian city in mind to bring Dana White’s Russia plans to fruition

If the UFC does make its way back to Russia, Petr Yan already has a city in mind. After beating Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333, Petr Yan spoke about the possibility of fighting in his hometown of Yekaterinburg, highlighting its modern arena facilities and the people he believes could help make the event happen.

“In my home city of Yekaterinburg, they built a great new arena that can host 12–13 thousand fans,” Yan said. “It’s an unreal stadium with great infrastructure and logistics. And I know there are people who can get this done.”

Yan didn’t name the arena, leaving some uncertainty about which venue he was referring to. Yekaterinburg Arena could be a potential option, although its official website lists a capacity of 35,000 for the full stadium, considerably higher than the 12,000 to 13,000 seats mentioned by the champion.

A UFC event in Yekaterinburg would give Yan the chance to fight in front of his home crowd and potentially headline a major card in Russia. Coming off his latest title defense, the bantamweight champion would also give the promotion a compelling storyline to build around.

However, choosing the venue could come with its own complications. Yekaterinburg Arena is reportedly a public asset owned or managed by the Sverdlovsk Oblast regional government. So, deals involving government-owned property could raise sanctions-related concerns for an American promotion like the UFC.

The RAF Moscow situation shows just how tricky things could get. If a venue deal runs into sanctions issues, international broadcasters and streaming platforms could also face restrictions on their involvement. That means the UFC would have to do its homework before committing to an event in Russia, making sure its venue deals, business partnerships, and broadcasting arrangements are all in order.

For now, Yekaterinburg is just Petr Yan’s preferred location, not an actual plan on the UFC’s calendar. Dana White has admitted that the promotion hasn’t discussed a return to Russia yet, but ‘No Mercy’ has made it clear that he’d love to fight in front of his hometown crowd.

Whether the UFC can work around the legal and logistical hurdles is another question entirely. Until the promotion starts serious discussions and figures out how to make the event work, a return to Russia remains just a possibility.