"Was Touching Me Up": Israel Adesanya Recalls Sparring With Petr Yan
A former two-time UFC middleweight champion was super impressed and even surprised after a short sparring session with Petr Yan.
Yan has trained most of his career at Tiger Muay Thai gym in Phuket, Thailand. When Israel Adesanya was still with City Kickboxing, he visited Tiger Muay Thai, where he linked up with Yan. During their brief meeting, the Nigerian-born Kiwi asked "No Mercy" to spar with him.
Izzy Recalls Intense Sparring Session With Petr Yan
Despite the significant difference in weight classes, Yan was able to land shots on "The Last Stylebender." Adesanya recently praised the Russian fighter while reminiscing about their previous sparring session. He told Demetrious Johnson:
“I saw him at Tiger Muay Thai and asked him to spar afterwards, and Petr Yan was actually touching me up. For a guy who’s fighting at 135 and me at 185, he was playful, but man, he was ragdolling people; it was fun.”
Check out Israel Adesanya's comments about Petr Yan below:
Petr Yan is one of the most technically sound strikers in the UFC. His ability to switch stances has also made him a difficult matchup for southpaws and orthodox fighters.
Yan keeps his hands high, stays patient, and never looks for an early finish. He takes his time to read his opponent and figure out his range. Once he downloads all the data, he turns up the pressure, controls the pace, and inflicts damage.
His jab is a crucial weapon in his arsenal. Whenever opponents try to find an opening or close the distance, Yan punishes them with sharp, well-timed jabs. Most recently, at UFC 333, during his trilogy bout with Merab Dvalishvili, the current and two-time bantamweight kingpin once again showed the world why "precision beats power, and timing beats speed!"
What's Next for Petr Yan?
Petr Yan is expected to defend his title against Song Yadong or Sean O'Malley. He's also game to move up to featherweight to chase two-division glory but will only do so when his friend, 145-pound champ Alexander Volkanovski, retires.
For now, Yan wants to clear out the rest of the bantamweight division. Meanwhile, he is also ready to lock horns with flyweight titleholder Joshua Van only if Van decides to move up to challenge "No Mercy."
