Yan, Sandhagen to fight for interim bantamweight title at UFC 267

The UFC finalized an interim bantamweight title fight between Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen for UFC 267 on Oct. 30, Dana White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto.

Yan was scheduled to meet bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling in a rematch at the event, but Sterling wasn't medically cleared due to lingering neck issues.

Sandhagen steps in on short notice after losing a split decision to former champion TJ Dillashaw in July. The 29-year-old won two straight fights, including a knockout-of-the-year candidate against Frankie Edgar, before that loss.

Yan suffered his first Octagon defeat in a March title defense versus Sterling, losing by disqualification after landing an illegal knee. "No Mercy" started his UFC run with seven straight victories, including a vacant title win over Jose Aldo in July 2020.

UFC 267 will feature a light heavyweight title fight between champion Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira in the main event. The card is slated to take place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.