Petr Yan wants “cheater” TJ Dillashaw next because it will be a “punishment” for him

Petr Yan is hoping to be active in 2021.

In 2020, Yan only got to step foot in the Octagon once, but he made good of that one time as he scored a fifth-round TKO win over Jose Aldo to become the new bantamweight champion. After the fight, it was clear Aljamain Sterling would be next in line, and months later the fight has been made.

Entering the fight, Yan is extremely confident he will get his hand raised and do so by finishing Sterling. If he does that, the big question is who he would fight next. Cory Sandhagen seems to be the number one contender, however, for the Russian he wants TJ Dillashaw next as he believes it would be punishment for him.

“Next I want to fight cheater TJ Dillashaw,” Yan said to BJPENN.com. “Many people think he doesn’t deserve to fight for the title after suspension, but I believe it won’t be a reward for him, it will be punishment.”

TJ Dillashaw has not fought since he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Henry Cejudo for the flyweight title as he looked to become a champ-champ. After the loss, Dillashaw was suspended two-years for EPO use but he is now eligible to return.

Now that is able to return, he has called for a title shot against the winner of Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling this weekend. If Yan wins, there is a good chance Dillashaw does end up getting the title shot. However, regardless of opponent, Petr Yan wants to defend his belt three times this year.

“If I won’t have any injuries I want to come back as soon as possible,” Yan said. “I hope I can defend my title three times this year.”

Would you like to see Petr Yan vs TJ Dillashaw next if Yan beats Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259?