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Russian-Born UFC Mixed Martial Artist Petr Yan Has a Peaceful Message Amidst the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Published 02/25/2022, 6:43 AM EST

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UFC interim bantamweight champion and Russian fighter Petr Yan is one of the biggest names in the UFC bantamweight division. Although the former UFC bantamweight champion is preparing for his return to the octagon against Aljamain Sterling, he has his eyes on what’s happening away from his combat career.

The bantamweight has shared a message of peace through his Instagram story. The Russian mixed martial artist posted a picture of a white pigeon with colors of both the Ukrainian and Russian flags, symbolizing peace between the two countries.

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WATCH THIS STORY – Five Times Petr Yan Showed No Mercy With His Dominant Performance

He did not provide any follow-up or other messaging related to his Instagram story.

Petr Yan versus Aljamain Sterling will take place at UFC 273 in April

‘No Mercy’ will take on the ‘Funkmaster‘ on April 09 at UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie in Jacksonville, Florida. This will be a rematch.

The first contest at UFC 259 saw Sterling dethrone Yan via disqualification because of an illegal knee strike. Though ‘No Mercy‘ dominated the fight, he made a critical error in the fourth round that cost him the match and his UFC bantamweight championship.

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Since the ending of the contest was bizarre, a rematch was inevitable. It was set for UFC 267, but got postponed as the bantamweight champion required surgery on his neck. Thus, ‘No Mercy’ Yan had to take an interim bout against the top bantamweight contender, Cory ‘The Sandman’ Sandhagen.

‘No Mercy’ defeated Sandhagen via unanimous decision in a high-caliber bout on Fight Island and won the interim championship.

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Now, as the bantamweight champion, Sterling, has recovered, Yan would look to unify the belts and resume his reign atop the UFC’s 135-pound weight class.

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Written by:

Deepak Kumar

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Deepak Kumar is a UFC author at EssentiallySports. His love for MMA comes from the chaos and violence the fight game brings to the table. A BJJ aspirant, Deepak began following the sport as a casual fan when Ronda Rousey was finishing her opponents in seconds.
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