John Hutchinson, Petr Yan’s boxing coach, is adamant the fight will not go into the championship rounds.
The 28-year-old Siberian Yan will take on Cory Sandhagen this weekend at UFC 267 on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi for the interim bantamweight title. Many have claimed that this will be the former champ’s toughest test in the division, Hutchinson does not comply with that train of thought.
“Definitely a tricky fight, I wouldn’t say [Yan]’s toughest fight,” Hutchinson told The AllStar. “You gotta remember these guys are Siberian. They’re out running in the blizzard. There’s nobody tougher than them.
“I believe that Petr Yan will stop [Sandhagen] inside three rounds. If he squares up which he does looking for that knee, Petr’s footwork and boxing….he’ll catch him. Petr’s a big puncher. I believe he’s too smart.”
Before Yan was disqualified for an illegal knee earlier this year at UFC 259 resulting in Aljamain Sterling being awarded the title, “No Mercy” was turning the tide and taking over with a more diverse attack. In the chaos, Yan’s team addressed a problem that will not be an issue against Sandhagen.
“Petr’s a fit guy but works close with his conditioning coach,” Hutchinson added. “His conditioning would transfer into the boxing work we do. There’s definitely that spark gone. And I said to Petr, ‘you missed your conditioning there big time’.
“He looked great the last fight but people close to him know it could’ve been a better performance. I think with [Sean Kober, Tiger Muay Thai head S&C coach] there you’re going to see a lot sharper, a lot stronger, and more mentally ready. He knows that was missing last time.
“When you get that mental power, you’re more ready in the fight. I can’t see it going the distance.”
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Fighter profile
Petr “No Mercy” Yan is a 28 year old male fighter from Russia with 15 pro wins and 2 losses. Yan is scheduled to fight Cory Sandhagen at UFC 267: Błachowicz vs. Teixeira on Saturday October 30, 2021.
Yan’s recent form coming into this matchup
Petr Yan has gone 4-1 in the last 5 professional MMA fights.
- Loss vs Aljamain Sterling • Disqualificaton R4 4:29 • 2021-03-06
- Win vs José Aldo • KO/TKO R5 3:24 • 2020-07-11
- Win vs Urijah Faber • KO/TKO R3 0:43 • 2019-12-14
- Win vs Jimmie Rivera • Decision R3 5:00 • 2019-06-08
- Win vs John Dodson • Decision R3 5:00 • 2019-02-23
Petr Yan’s next opponent: Cory “The Sandman” Sandhagen
Cory “The Sandman” Sandhagen’s recent form coming into this matchup
Cory “The Sandman” Sandhagen is a 29 year old male fighter from United States with 14 pro wins and 3 losses. Sandhagen is scheduled to fight Petr Yan at UFC 267: Błachowicz vs. Teixeira on Saturday October 30, 2021.
Cory Sandhagen has gone 3-2 in the last 5 professional MMA fights.
- Loss vs T.J. Dillashaw • Decision R5 5:00 • 2021-07-24
- Win vs Frankie Edgar • KO/TKO R1 0:28 • 2021-02-06
- Win vs Marlon Moraes • KO/TKO R2 1:03 • 2020-10-10
- Loss vs Aljamain Sterling • Submission R1 1:28 • 2020-06-06
- Win vs Raphael Assunção • Decision R3 5:00 • 2019-08-17
How to watch and bet on Petr Yan vs Cory Sandhagen
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