Former bantamweight champion Petr Yang has the next mission when he faces heavy-handed foe Marcus McGee in a new battle booked for the UFC’s upcoming return to Abu Dhabi on July 26th.
Several people with knowledge of promotional planning confirmed the news of MMA Fighting on Wednesday. MMA Mania first reported a matchup.
The contract has been issued and introduced, Yang will return to action eight months after he has earned his latest victory over Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event battle in China. That victory marked Yang’s second consecutive victory after he defeated Song Ya-dong. He finished a three-game skid for the Russians after dropping a split decision to Aljamen Sterling and Sean O’Malley before a biased defeat to future champion Merab Dvalishvili.
With consecutive wins, Yang returns to the title hunt and appears to make it three times in a row when he fights in July.
Meanwhile, McGee has the biggest opportunity of his career as he faces a former champion, including three finishes, following a perfect 4-0 start in the UFC. After winning the submission, McGee scored a decisive victory over Jonathan Martinez this November after scoring knockouts in the next two fights.
Now, it appears that McGee is trampling on the ladder when he faces Yang in July.
The July 26 UFC Abu Dhabi card set will be headlined with a middleweight showdown between former champions Robert Whittaker and Rainer de Ridder.
Mike Heck contributed to this report