Report | Manager says Petr Yan vs. Marlon Moraes fight is possible

The manager for UFC bantamweight contender Petr Yan says that the rising star could take on Marlon Moraes in May or June.

Yan is coming off of a huge KO win over Urijah Faber at UFC 245 which catapulted him into title contention at 135lbs as the No. 3-ranked contender. Moraes, meanwhile, defeated Jose Aldo via split decision to keep his spot as the No. 1 contender. However, despite both Yan and Moraes picking up wins, the UFC decided to instead give Aldo the title shot against UFC bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo in a controversial move.

With no title fight on the horizon, both Yan and Moraes need a fight, and apparently they will be fighting each other. According to Yan’s manager Sayat Abdrahmanov at Ruby Sports and Entertainment, the UFC is hoping to book Yan vs. Moraes for a fight card in May or June.

Here’s what Abdrahmanov told KhabibMcGregor.com.

“Petr had a very important fight with Urijah Faber. It wasn’t the most challenging fight but it was important in terms of building a name and becoming more recognized in America. Fans started talking about Petr Yan after he fought Faber,” Abdrahmanov said.

“In reality, Petr is one step away from the title fight. We realize that Jose Aldo will get a fight with Henry Cejudo. We understand the rules of this game. That’s why our next opponent will most likely be the highest-ranked contender. From what I know, Sterling already has an opponent so Yan will be facing Marlon Moraes in either May or June”.

Yan vs. Moraes could very well serve as a potential No. 1 contender’s fight at 135lbs, with the winner of that bout fighting the winner of Cejudo vs. Aldo. There’s no telling what card this fight would be placed on, but perhaps UFC 250 in Rio de Janeiro makes sense.

Who would you pick to win in a bantamweight fight between Petr Yan and Marlon Moraes?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 1/31/2020.