Yan pummels Aldo to win bantamweight title at UFC 251
Petr Yan stopped Jose Aldo via TKO at 3:24 of the fifth round at UFC 251 to win the vacant bantamweight title on Saturday night in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The fight was competitive in the early rounds, as Yan pressured Aldo and tagged him multiple times, but the Brazilian found success with leg kicks and body shots.
However, "No Mercy" took over at the end of the third round when Aldo began to tire.
It was one-way traffic for the new champion in the fourth round through to the finish. Yan got Aldo to the mat in the fifth and obliterated the former featherweight king with ground-and-pound. The referee stepped in with just over 90 seconds remaining in the title bout, but it easily could've been stopped a minute sooner.
With the victory, Yan is the fifth man to hold the undisputed 135-pound belt. He's expected to face Aljamain Sterling in his first title defense. The Russian debuted in the promotion in 2018 and has recorded eight straight victories.
Aldo, considered one of the best fighters of all time, has now lost three straight bouts. He's 0-2 in the bantamweight division.