Petr Yan to Defend Bantamweight Title vs. Aljamain Sterling in UFC 256 Co-Main Event

Petr Yan is expected to make his first bantamweight title defense against Aljamain Sterling in the UFC 256 co-headliner.

Yahoo Sports was first to report the matchup. Contracts have not been signed as of yet, but the promotion is working on finalizing the 135-pound bout. UFC 256 takes place on Dec. 12 and also includes a women’s featherweight title tilt between Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson.

Yan takes a 10-bout professional winning streak into his matchup with Sterling. That stretch includes seven straight victories in the Octagon, with notable triumphs over the likes of Urijah Faber, Jimmie Rivera and John Dodson. “No Mercy” claimed the vacant bantamweight crown with a fifth-round TKO of Jose Aldo at UFC 251 on July 11.

Since suffering a first-round knockout defeat to Marlon Moraes in December 2017, Sterling has reeled off five consecutive wins in UFC competition. Most recently, “The Funk Master” submitted Cory Sandhagen in the opening stanza at UFC 250 on June 6. Sterling’s 11-3 UFC mark also includes noteworthy triumphs over the likes of Pedro Munhoz, Rivera, Cody Stamann, Renan Barao and Takeya Mizugaki, to name a few.