Petr Yan ended his three-fight losing streak with an impressive showing to earn a unanimous decision win over Song Yadong in the opening fight on the main card at UFC 299.

It was a bit of a slow start in the first round but once Yan found his rhythm, he was connecting with the better strikes and even mixed in a couple of takedowns to slow Song down. Over 15 minutes, Yan put on a grueling pace as he wore down Song to secure the much needed victory.

The judges all scored the fight 29-28 with Yan getting his first win since 2021 when he defeated Cory Sandhagen.

“One year, I don’t fight,” Yan said afterwards. “I’m very happy to stay here with this win. It’s very, very important win for me. Thank you very much who support me. I am back. I want a hard fight with a hard opponent. It doesn’t matter who is my next opponent.”

Before the fight even started, Song said he wanted to prove his boxing superiority but his best weapon early was darting for a takedown and then cracking Yan with a punch whenever he reacted. The repeated grappling attempts paid off with Song taking Yan down momentarily where he landed a few more strikes before resetting back on the feet again.

As time passed, Yan started letting his hands go more and more and he was beginning to connect with regularity, especially a snapping jab that kept finding a home on Song’s chin. In return, Song displayed his signature speed and power on the feet and still looking for the takedowns to keep the former bantamweight champion guessing.

The strikes continued flying until Yan turned the tables on Song with a well-timed takedown of his own. From there, Yan hammered away with ground and pound with a cut opening up over Song’s left eye.

With five minutes remaining, Yan was still displaying quick hands and good power behind every combination but Song refused to back down during the exchanges. Yan’s jab continued to give Song problems and the Team Alpha Male fighter was just a step behind with his own strikes.

Late in the fight, Yan secured another takedown and he blasted away with a few more short punches and elbows to ensure he got the victory. The judges all agreed with Yan winning the unanimous decision after three hard-fought rounds.

Despite a trio of losses prior to Saturday night, Yan remains one of the toughest matchups in the entire bantamweight division and his win over Song should put him back in the thick of things against the best of the best at 135 pounds.

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