Yan vs Sandhagen UFC 267 preview & predictions – 30/10/2021

Petr Yan was originally supposed to take on Aljamain Sterling in this bout, but Cory Sandhagen has stepped in after Sterling was forced to withdraw with a lingering neck injury. Yan and Sandhagen will battle for the interim UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 267 this Saturday night.

Yan vs Sandhagen fight analysis

Petr Yan (15-2-0) had a 10-fight winning streak and his reign as the UFC Bantamweight Championship come to a stunning end at UFC 259 in March when he was disqualified for an illegal knee in his title bout against Aljamain Sterling. Yan was a perfect 7-0 in the UFC before that loss and was up 29-28 on two of the judges’ cards before the illegal knee took place. To secure the opportunity to settle the score with Sterling, Yan will first need to beat Cory Sandhagen in this interim title bout.

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Cory Sandhagen (14-3-0) has lost two of his last four fights since going 12-1 over the first 13 fights of his professional career and 5-0 through his first five fights with the UFC. Sandhagen lost via first-round submission to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 250 and more recently lost by split decision to T.J. Dillashaw in his last trip to the octagon in July. Taking this fight on short notice has given Sandhagen a golden opportunity to bounce back from the Dillashaw loss and to lock up a fight for the championship against Sterling.

Yan vs Sandhagen betting predictions

This should be an awesome fight. Both of these fighters have solid power and won’t be afraid to go toe-to-toe in the octagon. Petr Yan averages 5.99 significant strikes per minute and Cory Sandhagen averages 6.32 per minute. Yan and Sandhagen are both durable too as neither has ever been knocked out. The stage is set for an all-out war that could take all five rounds to decide.

Yan has the advantage in this bout due to the fact that he is a bit more well-rounded in the takedown department. The former champion is much more likely to score takedowns in this one as Sandhagen rarely goes for them and has a shaky takedown defense. In a match that figures to have its ups and downs throughout, Yan having this extra wrinkle in his attack should be the difference that eventually helps him grind out a win over Sandhagen.