- ‘No Mercy’ twice drops Faber with big punches and opens up huge cut with elbow before spectacular third-round finish
- Yan says he wants a title shot next against bantamweight champion Cejudo
Petr Yan made a statement with a third-round knockout of Urijah Faber via head kick in a dominant display at UFC 245 " and then called out "Triple Clown" Henry Cejudo.
"No Mercy" had already dropped the legendary Faber twice in the second round, opening up a nasty cut with an elbow on the ground which could have seen the fight stopped.
The doctor allowed Faber to continue but it was all over 43 seconds into the final round, thanks to a perfectly placed left high kick by Yan from inside the clinch, which saw the 40-year-old slump backwards into the fence.
"Petr Yan is a problem, man," Daniel Cormier said on commentary. The 26-year-old Yan's record stretched to 14-1.
Calling his shot! @PetrYanUFC wants Triple C for the gold next! #UFC245 pic.twitter.com/QxhZDeSQV4
" UFC (@ufc) December 15, 2019
"I'm very glad I won, I'm really happy. I hope today Urijah's fans are gonna become my fans," Yan told Joe Rogan inside the Octagon. "When I exit the clinch I always try to strike."
"I want next fight Cejudo, title shot," he added.
It was a display of pure power from Yan, without every overcommitting, he controlled the Octagon from the start and Faber knew he couldn't get drawn in.
The Russian stayed patient before finally getting the breakthrough, stunning Faber with a straight left hook. "The California Kid" managed to survive Yan's swarm but was dropped again and then cut with the elbow on the ground.
That opened a huge welt around his left eye which the doctor examined. But he allowed the fight to resume on the ground.
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