“I will be always glad to accept the challenge from another champion,” he continued, “but I will take on one title defense at the time, so right now I’m only focused on my next opponent and the next date of my fight.”
For the time being, a new date for his showdown with Sterling has yet to be confirmed.
Despite being disappointed that he could not make the first defense of his title earlier in the month, Yan used the delay to spend more time with his family, and is already looking forward to the tackling the even bigger challenges that await him in 2021 now that he sits atop the 135-pound weight class.
“We were supposed to fight at UFC 256, but the fight was rescheduled to the new year,” began Yan, who pushed his overall record to 15-1 with his fourth-round stoppage victory over Aldo in July to secure the vacant bantamweight title. “Everything happened for the best — 2020 was a very busy year, so I’m satisfied with how this year went down for me personally, and I think 2021 has even bigger tasks and accomplishments to be made.
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“I’m confident you will know and hear from me even more,” he added. “In 2021, I hope to have three fights. It’s tough to plan with everything going on in the world, but I have a big desire to do it.
“I’m starting my training camp in January and I can’t wait to enter the Octagon again.”
While maintaining possession of the bantamweight title for more than a couple of years has proven to be a difficult task thus far, the current titleholder believes that his best is yet to come.
“I’m 27 years old and I’m only beginning to come into the prime time of my career,” said Yan, who will turn 28 on February 11. “Mentally and physically, I’m getting stronger with each camp and each fight.
“I’m still in the developing phase and I’m still learning something new with each fight,” he added. “In three next three years, you will see the best version of me, and I hope to entertain the fans with my performances even more.”
Given what he’s accomplished in his first two and a half years on the roster, that sounds like a scary proposition for anyone hoping to force Yan to vacate the bantamweight throne and an appetizing one for UFC fans around the globe.
