UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan might be on the sidelines for months after undergoing major surgery in recent days. Petr Yan pulled off one of the biggest UFC upsets of 2025 when he dethroned Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323. In a rematch years in the making, Yan defeated Dvalishvili by unanimous decision to reclaim the UFC bantamweight championship and snap Dvalishvili’s long win streak. Petr Yan hits major roadblock for UFC return as title shot talks intensifyYan shared on Instagram on Wednesday that he underwent a nine-hour operation on his lower back to correct an undisclosed issue. Yan is the latest reigning UFC champion to suffer a significant setback away from the Octagon.