Petr Yan emerged with a decisive decision victory in a thrilling back-and-forth striking battle with Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event of UFC Fight Night 248.
Round One:
The bantamweight main event is underway in Macau!
Figueiredo misses a kick but then immediately darts into a takedown attempt instead. They are clinched for now in the center of the Octagon, but then he lands a slick trip.
Figueiredo on top in half-guard now. He tries to pass guard but Yan scrambles to his knees. Figueiredo thinking about a submission, but not committing to anything for now. Yan rolls but Figueiredo stays on him.
Figueiredo working more comfortably to Yan’s back while isolating an arm. However Yan picks his moment to turn and end up on top with half the round remaining.
Figueiredo closes up his guard as Yan moves him over towards the cage. Light hammerfists and a smothering hand in Figueiredo’s face now.
A few ground-and-pound strikes from Yan being mixed in with good control. He postures up now and tries to pass guard but Figueiredo scrambles to his feet. Yan lands a knee though as he stood.
Round Two:
Oblique kick attempt from Yan but Figueiredo got his leg out of danger. Head kick attempt from Yan was only just blocked in time.
Good calf kick for Yan. Oblique kick. He lands that again after a stance switch. Body kick for Yan now. He lands another hard one. Figueiredo reaches for a leg trying to get a takedown, but quickly gives up on it.
Calf kick for Yan. Right hand from Figueiredo. Head kick attempt followed by punches and then another head kick on the same side from Yan, but Figueiredo stayed on-point defensively to that flurry.
Short right hand from Figueiredo. Figueiredo misses a punch and Yan counters. Heavy right hand from Figueiredo lands clean and got Yan’s attention.
Calf kick from Yan and then just misses with a power hook. Jab for Figueiredo. Now a jumping body kick. Calf kick for Yan. Left hand for him. More straight punches for Yan.
Calf kick from Yan. Uppercut gets through from Figueiredo. Oblique kick from Yan. Leg kicks flashed out by Figueiredo. Straight left for Figueiredo. He comes forward with an overhand right.
Final seconds of the round and Yan lands a slick trip takedown that slams Figueiredo to the mat.
Round Three:
Leg kick for Yan. Body punch from Figueiredo. Another calf kick for Yan. Figueiredo with a takedown and lands it, but Yan manages to scramble to his feet.
Right hand for Figueiredo. Low kick from Yan. Big uppercut from Yan was well timed and drops Figueiredo.
Yan gets on top on the mat and lands a few strikes. Hammerfists for him, but Figueiredo is defending as best he can and seems clear-headed.
Figueiredo able to use the cage to stand back up and get to striking range. Body kick for Yan. Grazing right hand for Yan and then clinches up against the cage.
Back to striking range. Light calf kick from Figueiredo. Body kick for him. He lands that again with purpose.
One-two for Figueiredo. Yan with a short left. Brief clinch but then separate. In close again they go and Yan lands the uppercut again. Figueiredo stands up to it, but Yan follows up with nice punches.
Another uppercut for Yan. Now a flying knee. Figueiredo loads up on a punch but misses. His mouthpiece comes out but it’s soon put back in, but only with a few seconds remaining in the round.
Round Four:
Front kick to the body for Figueiredo. Left hook for Yan and Figueiredo drops off-balance to the mat as he tries to move away. He scrambles straight back up though.
Hard body kick for Figueiredo. Figueiredo goes for a single leg but then opts to work over to the clinch against the cage.
Back to striking cage. Uppercut from Yan knocks Figueiredo’s mouthpiece out. They keep fighting for now as Yan tries for a head kick. Thankfully Figueiredo gets the mouthpiece back in now and they continue on.
Head kick attempt from Yan just glanced the target. One-two for Yan after Figueiredo misses the uppercut. Yan working his uppercut again.
Left hand for Yan. He tries for an elbow strike. Missed punch from Yan enables Figueiredo to clinch up, but nothing doing from that so they go back to striking.
They are soon back to the clinch though in the center of the Octagon and Yan works his uppercut again. He tries for a knee.
Big punch from Figueiredo drops Yan backwards. He scrambles up as Figueiredo fires off more strikes. Yan with a big knee in the final seconds.
Round Five:
Jab for Yan. Figueiredo works to the body. Yan tries for his trip takedown but doesn’t get it this time.
Brief clinch and Yan lands a knee to the body and an uppercut. Yan ripping more uppercuts at close range. Nice elbow from Figueiredo. Now a left hand for him. Front kick to the body for Figueiredo.
Body kick for Yan. Left hand. Ripping body punch for Figueiredo. Spinning backfist for Yan lands, but Figueiredo continues to show a good chin even up at bantamweight.
Figueiredo tries his spinning backfist but Yan ducked just underneath in time. Brief clinch and Figueiredo lands a knee and Yan connects with a right hand.
Jumping switch kick attempt from Yan almost got through. Now a question-mark kick from Figueiredo. He lands a big right hand that hurts Yan. He follows up with another.
Figueiredo goes for a trip takedown. Yan immediately up. Final 30 seconds. He comes up short with a head kick.
Body kick for Yan. Right hand from Figueiredo. Yan tries for a takedown but gives up on it quickly. Final left hand for Yan. What a fight!
Decision:
This was a great fight between two very talented former champions. Both men had big moments in the fight and dropped each other, but overall Yan seemed to have the upperhand and survived a late resurgence from Figueiredo in the final round to emerge with a unanimous decision victory (50-45 x3).
