Petr Yan will likely miss the rest of 2024 after revealing that he’s headed for surgery after suffering a litany of injuries in his most recent win at UFC 299.
The former UFC bantamweight champion defeated Song Yadong to break a three-fight losing streak dating back to 2022 when he fell to Aljamain Sterling in a battle that cost him the 135-pound title. The Russian was out of action almost exactly one year following a loss to Merab Dvalishvili but he bounced back in impressive fashion with his performance against Song in March.
Sadly, it appears Yan will have to wait the better part of another year before he books his next fight in the octagon.
“So MRI confirmed ACL rupture, meniscus tear and groin injury,” Yan wrote on Twitter. “Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. Nothing will break me, I’m determined to come back stronger than ever in no time.”
So MRI confirmed acl rupture, meniscus tear and groin injury. Surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. Nothing will break me, I’m determined to come back stronger than ever in no time
— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) March 18, 2024
A ruptured or torn ACL in the knee is the worst of the injuries for Yan with recovery time for that surgery typically taking between nine months to one year. It’s not clear if the meniscus tear was in the same knee but Yan’s doctors will most likely repair that damage done during the same surgery for his ACL.
It’s unfortunate news for the 31-year-old fighter as he looked to gain momentum in the division following the three-fight losing streak, which included a back-and-forth war with future champion Sean O’Malley that ended in a razor-close split decision.
Following his win over Song at UFC 299, Yan said he was open to any tough opponent the promotion threw at him with numerous options available in the bantamweight rankings.
Now it looks like Yan will have to wait to issue any challenges until next year once he’s healed up and ready to compete again following his upcoming surgery.
