UFC 267 Odds: Petr Yan vs. Cory Sandhagen
The next stop for Saturday’s UFC 267 main card on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi is the co-main event, which sees No. 1 ranked bantamweight challenger Petr Yan take on No. 3 Cory Sandhagen for the interim title. The winner will set themselves up for a title shot against current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling.
Yan is a -220 favourite to win on the MMA odds, with Sandhagen coming in as a +165 underdog.
Petr Yan UFC 267 Odds
Yan (15-2 MMA record) is actually the former bantamweight champion. He won the vacant title last summer on Fight Island with a fifth-round knockout over Jose Aldo at UFC 251. It extended his win streak to double digits and pushed his record at the time to 7-0 in the Octagon. Many people still view Yan as the true bantamweight champion. He defended his title for the first time in March against Aljamain. Yan was disqualified in the fifth round after he landed an illegal knee that prevented Aljamain from continuing.
“No Mercy” earned his nickname for a reason. Yan is a violent fighter who has an affinity for brutal battles. He’s extremely patient and calculating, often waiting a few minutes in the first round to feel his opponent out. Yan is one of the top boxers in the division and his sharp jabs seem to come with no windup or warning. He’s also the better wrestler and grappler. Yan averages 2.14 takedowns per 15 minutes with 66 per cent accuracy compared to 0.74 takedowns with 44 per cent accuracy for Sandhagen.
Yan’s game plan will likely be to feel Sandhagen out for the first few minutes to gauge how best to close the gap. If he can get Sandhagen against the fence, look for Yan to control Sandhagen in clinches. Yan can be a sneaky striker, which he’ll need to utilize as he’s at a reach disadvantage.
Cory Sandhagen UFC 267 Odds
Before his split decision loss to T.J. Dillashaw in July, Sandhagen (14-3 MMA record) was coming off two incredible Performance of the Night wins. His first Performance of the Night win came with a spinning wheel kick in a TKO win over Marlon Moraes last October. Sandhagen followed that up with a brutal flying knee knockout of Frankie Edgar 28 seconds into their February bout. The Dillashaw fight was just Sandhagen’s second loss in his last 11 fights and many outlets actually scored him as the winner.
Sandhagen is a diverse and dynamic striker who has a very fluid attack. He’ll have a two-inch reach advantage over Yan which benefits his rangy striking. Sandhagen continuously switches stances to come at opponents from multiple angles, while using front kicks to keep at a safe distance. He’s better on his feet where his averages 6.32 significant strikes per 15 minutes compared to 5.99 for Yan.
Expect Sandhagen to do everything he can to keep this fight standing up. He’s more comfortable with his back against the cage as he walks opponents into shots. His wrestling ability is the weakest point of his game, although he can occasionally pull off tricky submissions. Sandhagen’s reach advantage is his biggest strength against Yan.
UFC 267 Prediction: Yan vs. Sandhagen
These are clearly two of the best fighters in the division and they’ll likely each earn title shots within the next couple of years. In fact, by this time next year it’s very possible they face each other for the bantamweight belt. That said, Yan is the more complete fighter. Yan wins this by third round KO/TKO.