Petr Yan considers future move to featherweight division

UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan has expressed interest in potentially moving up to the featherweight division in the future to pursue a second title. While Yan noted that moving up sounds ‘interesting’, he clarified that he has no desire to fight current featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski due to their friendship, stating, ‘145 champ is my friend Alex Volkanovski, so I don’t want to beat him up.’

Yan also indicated he has no interest in dropping down to the flyweight division to challenge Joshua Van. Currently, Yan is focused on his upcoming title defense at UFC 333, where he will face Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy bout. This follows Yan's return to championship status after recovering from lower back surgery performed in early 2026.