Petr Yan Is An Even Bigger Fave in Rematch
It is as rare to see the loser enter the rematch as a bigger favorite. The former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan finds himself as a 5-1 favorite as he fights the new champ, Aljamain Sterling, a second time. To Yan’s credit, he lost by disqualification after battering Sterling for the majority of the fight. So, Yan is a solid bet online to finish the job… unless Sterling has improved dramatically since.
Let’s check the latest news, stats, injury reports, and UFC odds for Sterling vs Yan 2. We’ve plenty of predictions for you to consider.
How Much Has Aljamain Sterling Improved Since?
Aljamain Sterling appeared to be on his way to losing a decision against Petr Yan. He won the first round but was then outclassed up until Yan threw an illegal knee that rendered him unable to continue. By default, Sterling captured the bantamweight belt.
Sterling has not fought for more than a year. He suffered an injury late last year and had this fight postponed to this Saturday.
The NCAA Division III wrestler has won most of his bouts via his grappling. But against Yan, Sterling landed just one takedown in 17 attempts. He could not hold Yan down or control him. Sterling also started to gas after blitzing Yan in the first round.
If Sterling upsets the UFC odds, he will need to find and execute a better game plan. But on paper, Yan has him beat in nearly every facet of the game.
Petr Yan Is A Well-Oiled Machine of Destruction
When speaking of the current pound-for-pound greats, Petr Yan is a bit underrated. The Russian is relatively new to the scene but he has been near-flawless in his nine UFC fights. He destroyed two legends in Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber and cleanly handled Cory Sandhagen. His only blemish came thanks to a DQ.
Yan’s greatest strength lies in his cold and calculated approach to the game. He is a master in nearly every facet of MMA from grappling to striking and has the physique to implement any game plan. Of course, his momentary brain fart was concerning as is his corner’s apparent lack of understanding of the MMA rules.
But what are the online sports betting odds of Yan committing one too many illegal moves again? Slim to none at this point. Yan should be able to pick up where he left off as he methodically breaks Sterling down.
Sterling vs Yan 2 Head-to-Head
The stats are misleading in this pair’s first fight. Sterling outlanded Yan 97 to 86 in significant strikes and appeared to have won the first two rounds. But Yan was landing the harder shots and was defending Sterling’s takedowns while averaging more control time. Had he not thrown the illegal knee, Yan would have won a clear-cut decision.
Sterling vs Yan 2 Fight Information
- Fight: Sterling (c) (20-3-0) vs Yan 2 (ic) (16-2-0)
- Location: VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
- Day/Time: Saturday, April 9th. 10:00 p.m. ET
- Sterling vs Yan 2 Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass
Sterling vs Yan 2 Betting Lines
Sterling vs Petr Yan 2 Prediction
The betting odds here indicate that Petr Yan will win this fight four out of five times. It’s hard to pick against the Russian as he was thoroughly beating up on Aljamain Sterling as the fight went on, however, we cannot discount the fact that Sterling did win the first round and is still a young and evolving fighter.
If Sterling can find a way to remain productive while conserving his energy, he can make this fight a lot closer over five rounds. He also has the benefit of being the champion in his home country (even if he represents Jamaica, he is American). So if this fight is close, Sterling could just edge Yan. Sterling to win by decision is at +550 and could be the best UFC bet if siding with him.
However, if Sterling does try to get more technical here, he is playing right into Yan’s hands. The Russian will stay disciplined, pick him apart, and win this fight with no controversies.
