Petr Yan Open to Featherweight Move, but Not Volkanovski Fight

Petr Yan says he may move up to featherweight in the future, but would not want to fight Alexander Volkanovski, whom he considers a friend. The reigning bantamweight champion said the prospect of competing at 145 pounds interests him, while making clear that a bout against Volkanovski is not one he wants. Yan’s comments do not amount to a confirmed change in weight class. In an interview with Full Violence, he said moving up sounded interesting “somewhere in the future.” He also explained that Volkanovski, the current featherweight champion, is his friend and that he does not want to fight him. The two have trained at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand, according to reports about their shared gym history. Yan is scheduled to defend his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 333 on October 24, 2026, in Abu Dhabi. The trilogy bout is part of a card that is also scheduled to feature Volkanovski defending the featherweight title against Movsar Evloev. Those fights remain upcoming as of October 8, and no outcomes have been established. Yan has also offered an assessment of the scheduled Volkanovski-Evloev matchup.