Petr Yan undergoes nine-hour surgery on his back in potential major setback to UFC return

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.

After Yan’s win, a potential rematch with Sean O’Malley was put in the mix for the newly-crowned bantamweight champion’s first title defense. A trilogy with Dvalishvili is also on the table, as the former titleholder recently alluded that he plans on holding out for another shot at Yan.

If Dvalishvili and O’Malley both hold out for title shots, they might have to wait a lengthy period after Yan suffered a significant injury to begin 2026.

Petr Yan hits major roadblock for UFC return as title shot talks intensify

Yan shared on Instagram on Wednesday that he underwent a nine-hour operation on his lower back to correct an undisclosed issue. As of this writing, Yan’s surgery was a success, although it remains unclear when the UFC champion will be medically cleared to return.

Yan alluded to ‘a couple months’ on the sidelines to recover from his surgery before booking his return to the Octagon. But the new champion remains optimistic he can set up his next fight by mid-summer.

Yan is the latest reigning UFC champion to suffer a significant setback away from the Octagon. UFC women’s bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison withdrew from her scheduled fight at UFC 324 last weekend due to a neck injury, and a timeline for her return remains unclear.

Yan’s operation allows for Dvalishvili, O’Malley, and others to make their cases for the next title shot. We should learn more about the UFC’s next moves with the bantamweight division in the coming weeks.

Who should Petr Yan fight next for his first bantamweight title defense? Let us know in the comments!