Petr Yan took sweet revenge in December at UFC 323, defeating Merab Dvalishvili in their rematch. And the whole UFC community is aware of what a critical surgery Yan underwent afterward.

Yan underwent a major lumbar surgery in late January; he revealed that he spent 9 hours under anesthesia for the operation on his lower back. Now Yan is giving fans a raw look at his recovery, which tells the story of his comeback.

"I continue to recover after 2 surgeries in 5 months. We are working and not giving up!" stated the caption.

This, according to Danny Rubenstein, was a procedure that Yan underwent to defeat Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 323 in December, when he recaptured the bantamweight title by unanimous decision. Yan has not revealed what his second surgery entailed.

Since Yan stated in January that he would return within a couple of months, the champion has remained sidelined. The latest Instagram video on Wednesday seems to indicate that he is continuing to work his way back to training. It has certainly been no walk in the park for the champ.

Bantamweight division stuck in limbo since Yan's title win

The Bantamweight division seems to be in limbo since Petr Yan earned his title last December. His title reign hit a snag before it could get going. Since his surgery in January, Yan has been out of the octagon.

Yan targeted a return in a couple of months, even though he underwent one brutal surgery, but now, months later, the division is still without a confirmed date for his first title defense.

With Yan not having a set return date, Sean O'Malley's repeated calls to book him for 'No Mercy' have gone unanswered.

O'Malley has continued campaigning for a rematch after UFC 324, and Umar Nurmagomedov has strengthened his own case with recent wins. None of it moves without Yan back in the Octagon.

Should the UFC book an interim title fight, or continue waiting on Yan?

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi