Petr Yan Wants to Move Up to 145lbs for Double-Champ Glory but Has One Major Condition

In less than three weeks, Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333. Yan will face Merab Dvalishvili in a bantamweight title trilogy at the same event. Yan recently expressed his desire to move up to 145 pounds for a second UFC world title. However, a major condition comes into play: Yan doesn't want to fight Volkanovski for the featherweight belt.

The Russian described Volkanovski as a close friend and stated that he has no interest in defeating him. Yan explained, "You know, if someone is gonna move up and challenge me, it’s maybe a question for them, not for me. But, personally, for myself, moving up, it sounds interesting too. Somewhere in the future, yeah." He added, "145 champ is my friend Alex Volkanovski, so I don’t wanna beat him up."

Volkanovski hinted that a substantial injury in their upcoming fight could lead to his retirement. Yan and Volkanovski's friendship extends beyond their UFC careers, as they trained together at Tiger Muay Thai around the time of the press conference. Despite this bond, a Yan vs. Volkanovski title fight seems improbable, even if Yan eventually decides to make the transition to featherweight.