UFC: Petr Yan will have bantamweight title back before long, says coach George Hickman
- Bantao Muay Thai & MMA coach thinks former champ handled split decision loss to Aljamain Sterling ‘like a true professional’
- ‘He’s a guy that every single day he improves and he gets better,’ Hickman says – ‘I’m sure he’s back in the gym already’
Most had expected him to reclaim the title after surrendering it by disqualification to the Jamaican-American in March 2021, following an illegal knee to the head in the fourth round of a fight he had been dominating.
It was a razor-close decision that came down to the first round, with two of the three judges scoring it in Sterling’s favour. But George Hickman, one of Yan’s long-time coaching team in Phuket, Thailand, insisted the Russian can hold his head high.
“In my opinion, and of course I’m biased, I thought Petr Yan won,” Hickman, MMA coach at the new Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA gym in Phuket, told the Post.
“But you know what, he didn’t win on the judges’ scorecards, and Petr handled it like a true professional that he is. He’s another guy that it ain’t gonna be that long and he’ll be wearing the belt again.”