A recent report from Igor Lazonin says Petr Yan’s corner have all been denied a visa to enter the United States.
At UFC 273 next month, Petr Yan is set to challenge Aljamain Sterling for the UFC bantamweight title. The fight will be a rematch from their UFC 259 collision last year, which saw Sterling capture the belt courtesy of a controversial disqualification win.
Yan enters this upcoming meeting as the favourite but given how unpredictable the bantamweight division can be, and how determined Sterling to get a legitimate win over his rival, anything is possible.
However, Yan’s preparations have hit a roadblock after it was revealed by the aforementioned Lazonin that his team will be unable to join him in Jacksonville.
“Per Igor Lazonin from Russian Tass Agency, Visa request of all corners of Petr Yan was denied from US Government. Yan have 3 years US visa and can enter in United States to #UFC273″
“Lazonin make a suggestion to @TeamKhabib Nurmagomedov replaces Yan’s corner If his team can’t enter in United States on time to #UFC273 Sounds very interesting.”
The idea of Khabib Nurmagomedov stepping in on short notice could be particularly intriguing, especially given how successful he’s been as a coach in the last few years.
The other main fights on the UFC 273 include Alexander Volkanovski vs The Korean Zombie for the UFC featherweight title, Khamzat Chimaev and Gilbert Burns meeting in a number one contender fight and so much more.
With or without his corner, you can bet Yan is feeling confident.