Petr Yan vs. Song Yadong reportedly canceled due to injury

Despite still being considered one of the best competitors in the bantamweight division, Petr Yan is in desperate need of a win in his next outing. The Russian was all set to collide with Song Yadong in a UFC Fight Night headliner in two months’ time, but he’ll have to wait even longer to get back to winning ways.

‘No Mercy’ is hellbent on getting back into title contention but unfortunately for the brawler, injury has forced him to withdraw from his fight in December. At this time, it is uncertain whether Yadong will remain on the card.

According to reports, the Chinese bulldozer exchanged messages back and forth with his manager which seems to confirm the news. Sean Shelby and his manager were working together to figure out a solution for the Team Alpha Male standout.

Song Yadong put on Douyin, a text message between him and his manager, that says that Petr Yan is injured.

no more main event vs Yan on December 9th

from @mmaecosystem originally pic.twitter.com/3tQmU0bx8E

— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) October 10, 2023

This would have been Song Yadong’s second bout since his doctor stoppage defeat to Cory Sandhagen in September last year. ‘Kung Fu Kid’ bounced back from that loss with a dominant showing against Ricky Simon earlier this year, but was making a big step up in competition to face former champion Petr Yan.

At just 25 years of age, the knockout artist has a long time before hitting his prime in the sport. Despite his youth, he has already competed under the UFC banner on 12 occasions, losing just twice.

Related: Cory Sandhagen vs. Song Yadong scorecards were razor-close prior to the stoppage

While he is currently riding a three-fight losing streak, Yan will feel hard done by as two of those matches were considered by many to be judged incorrectly. Excluding his sound loss to Merab Dvalishvili in his most recent octagon appearance, the 30-year-old saw both Sean O’Malley and Aljamain Sterling get the nod on the scorecards despite putting up a valiant effort.

A win over the former bantamweight king would be huge in Yadong’s career. While he has shared the octagon with some high-level talent, the Asian star had his chance to crack the top 5 in the 135 rankings—though sadly for him, the bout will apparently no longer go ahead.