Scouting Report: Petr Yan

Opponent

Petr Yan

Level

UFC

Report date

unknown

Original

download (md)

Last Five Fights

His fights typically go deep into the rounds. He likes to use the first round or so to gain reads on his opponent. If he doesn’t win by decision, the knockout / TKO usually occurs in the last round.

General Notes

I think his own words speak well to his style. I saw the quote below during an interview, and I saw it hold true in the Aldo fight: in the third round Petr was looking tired, and Aldo started to go harder, looking for a finish. By the end of the round Aldo was the one getting tired, and Petr came back strong. It also shows in his UFC record: if he gets a finish, it often comes in the final rounds.

Petr attempts more strikes, and lands more strikes as the rounds progress. See the graphs below.

Stance & Movement

Switch-stance fighter. He changes his stance often during the fight and during attacks. He is known for keeping a high, tight guard. It seems part of his game plan is to use pressure and the high guard to force reactions out of his opponents: he is comfortable blocking strikes on his guard and may use it as a way to drain his opponent’s energy.

He frequently reaches with his lead hand to gauge distance and read his opponent. Because he switches stances, he uses the same tactic in both orthodox and southpaw. His rear hand typically stays very close to his face, whichever stance he is in.

Foot Sweeps / Takedowns

Here is a good breakdown of his foot sweeps by Dan Hardy.

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxn7o7xNOfaqFdeaejjvUG1IOAUpJA6yaz

I took clips of all of his foot sweeps and takedowns from his last five fights. There are too many to put here, so they are collected in the appendix at the bottom of this page.

Using the Guard as a Fake to Set Up Strikes

The clip below breaks down a strategy he uses to set up strikes. He will put up his hands for a high guard, then immediately follow it up with strikes. He gives his opponent a false sense of security that he is being defensive, so he can catch them off guard.

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxng_Jmemah_IlzIRq0Znl35mFka4U8h6M

Switching Stances While Punching

He likes to use distracting punches (no intention of landing) while taking distance with his feet. He will switch stances as he punches to get close quickly. Switching and stepping into punches is broken down well by Dan Hardy in a couple of his analysis videos; the relevant sections are clipped below.

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxUePuPxy5C-l9xjASkUl9PRmP9oibMYiz

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxFVcNg2lujf9AYYG_apAPNooGudu9B1L4

Here is another example I found of switching stances and stepping into punches.

High Kicks

He likes to throw high kicks from either stance.

Right & Left Hook

He likes to use a rear hook from both stances. Below are examples of left and right hooks. He throws it tight, almost like a hybrid between a cross and a hook.

He will sometimes step through with his hook. As noted above, he likes to step through with his punches to increase power and cover more distance.

References

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEf5Kdb5vlY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FxmXtBvMlE

Appendix: Foot Sweep & Takedown Clips

(Originally a separate note: all foot sweeps and takedowns from his last five fights.)