Petr Yan is all set to make his comeback into the octagon at UFC 299. This weekend, he will square off against Song Yadong. The former bantamweight champion has not found much success in the cage for a substantial period. He is on a three-fight losing streak and a title fight does not appear to be ahead of him anytime soon.

That being said, he is still in his prime and has the opportunity to triumph again. But Yadong is not a walk in the park and that is what makes this match-up so exciting. Moreover, while one cannot be assured in this contest, let’s examine Yan’s fighting style and his credentials before the bout.  

What makes Petr Yan such a formidable opponent?

Yan has been around the sport for a substantial amount of time. Despite some defeats in the last few years, he boasts an impressive record of 16-5. While he is a well-rounded fighter, his boxing specifically is especially lethal. His acumen is second to none in the sport and even his physical attributes cannot be scoffed.

His fighting stance is also that of a boxer and has decent power in his punches. Out of his 16 wins, 7 of them have come by way of knockout. Not to mention, his striking accuracy is more than 50% which is again, an impressive ratio. Safe to say, he is one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the UFC. That said, this is mixed martial arts and boxing is just one of the weapons in Yan’s arsenal.

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He also has some submission victories under his belt and his takedown defense is more than 80%. Needless to say, he is both dangerous on the feet and the ground. And it is with the help of this skill that he has so much confidence going into the bout. Don’t just take our word for it.

UFC star is awestruck by Yan’s boxing

Muhammad Mokaev, UFC flyweight is a massive fan of Yan. The 23-year-old had the opportunity to train with the former UFC bantamweight champion of the world. Amongst other things, they engaged in pad work and the flyweight got to witness Yan’s boxing skills in the flesh. Subsequently, he was quick to praise Yan publically. While sparring in their training session, the undefeated fighter tagged Yan as the best boxer in the UFC. On X, he said, “With the best boxer in 135 Petr Yan.”

Read more: Pressed Publicly on a Serious Question, Petr Yan’s Outburst After Getting Confronted by Reporter Comes to Light in Resurfaced Clip

To attain such a comment from the fighter himself goes on to prove Yan is quite a credible fighter. However, we let you be the judge, do you think Yan is the best boxer? Share with us your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

Read more: “If Wrestle F@cked Was a Person! Sheesh!”: UFC World in Disbelief as Ex-Champ Petr Yan Gets Mauled by “Machine” Merab Dvalishvili at UFC Vegas 71