MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom breaks down the UFC’s top bouts. Today, we look at the bantamweight title attraction for UFC 259.

UFC 259 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+.

Petr Yan (15-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC)

Staple info:

• Height: 5'7" Age: 28 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 67"

• Last fight: TKO win over Jose Aldo (July 11, 2020)

• Camp: American Top Team (Florida)

• Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing

• Risk management: Fair

Supplemental info: + UFC bantamweight champion + ACB bantamweight title + Master of sports in boxing + 7 KO victories + 1 submission win + 3 first-round finishes + KO Power + Building pace and pressure + Excellent footwork ^ Shifts stances, takes angles + Accurate left hand ^ Jabs, hooks and crosses + Strong inside of the clinch ^ Defense, trips, strikes off the breaks + Solid wrestling ability ^ Scrambles well

Aljamain Sterling (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC)

Staple info:

• Height: 5'7" Age: 31 Weight: 135 lbs. Reach: 71"

• Last fight: Submission win over Cory Sandhagen (June 6, 2020)

• Camp: Serra-Longo Fight Team (Long Island/Las Vegas)

• Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing

• Risk management: Good

Supplemental info: + Regional MMA titles + Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt + 2x All-American wrestler + 2 KO victories + 8 submission wins + 4 first-round finishes + Tricky feints and footwork ^ Variates looks and levels + Improved boxing + Dynamic kicking attacks ^ Functional from both sides + Diverse takedown ability ^ Chains trips, singles and double-legs + Crafty transitional grappler ^ Combines funk and submission stylings + Dangerous from back mount

Point of interest: Kicks and counters

Petr Yan, red gloves, fights Urijah Faber during UFC 245. (Stephen R. Sylvanie, USA TODAY Sports)

UFC 259 features a fantastic matchup for the bantamweight title between two fighters who are very familiar with kicks and their associated counters. Despite not being a traditionally schooled striker, [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] has made some undeniable strides in his striking game throughout his UFC tenure. With his funk style of wrestling initially following him into his striking endeavors, Sterling busted out of the gates as an awkward stick-and-move stylist. But after a few years of valuable lessons and experiences, the Serra-Longo product is much more comfortable expressing himself standing. Continually switching his stances while moving laterally, Sterling makes himself hard to read or get a beat on. Incorporating his fair share of feints, the 31-year-old traditionally has worked his way into the fight behind a wall of dynamic kicking variety. From his snapping front kicks and traditional teeps to his Thai kicks that he parlays into sidekicks, Sterling can execute attacks soundly from either stance. Addressing the criticisms of his game at boxing range, the Long Islander has also shown upgrades to his pocket presence. Attaching more purpose (as well as punches) to his trunk movements, Sterling will now offer everything from checking jabs and hooks to cheeky elbows over the top. Although Sterling’s head can be hard to find at times, his legs and body arguably present more tangible targets that a well schooled striker could pick up on. Enter [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]. Yan, who is a fighter I’ve eyed since his epic battle with Magomed Magomedov back at ACB 32, has done nothing but inflate the feelings of hardcore fans since stepping onto the UFC stage. A ferocious Russian competitor, Yan implements an offense-heavy approach that is both analyst and fan-friendly, as he aggressively works his opposition toward the fence. Whether Yan is operating from orthodox or southpaw, the 28-year-old phenom often conducts traffic with his left hand, as he wields a bevy of accurate weapons from that side. From straight shots down the center that range from jabs to crosses or sneaky hooks and uppercuts off the lead side, Yan can pretty much do all things from boxing range. The Tiger Muay Thai product will also mix in other things like kicks, knees and elbows into his repertoire – though he seems to smartly save that shot selection for his assaults off of the breaks. Yan does a deceptively good job on the defensive end, as the former amateur boxer will subtly roll with oncoming shots while keeping his eyes on his opponent with returns in mind. That said, shifting aggression – no matter who is at the steering wheel – tends to be a ripe recipe in regards to opportunistic counters (particularly within the kicking realm against someone who is searching for a takedown).

Point of interest: Protect ya' neck

Aljamain Sterling attempts to secure a rear-choke against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250. (Jeff Bottari, Zuffa LLC)

Considering that Sterling is the better grappler on paper, I will be curious to see if he is able to exercise those perceived edges. A two-time All-American wrestler, Sterling has demonstrated a diverse array of takedowns in his arsenal since arriving in the UFC. From reactive shots in the open to chaining to and from single-legs in the clinch, the 31-year-old challenger has shown that he can hit crafty finishes on the feet when he needs to. But between Sterling not being beyond getting stuffed and Yan's insane scrambling ability, secured takedowns are not exactly a certainty this Saturday. Akin to many fighters from his part of the world, Yan's grappling game on the regional ranks incorporated a lot sambo and judo influence in regards to both his wrestling and submission sensibilities. Whether he's hitting disruptive foot sweeps or attacking submissions off transitions, Yan never seems to be lost, as he is good about offering up answers that involve subtle but smart wrist controls. In his first fight against Magomedov (who is the most recent dedicated grappler on his resume), Yan had to constantly shake a sambo champion off of his back due to his propensity to tripod to his base in scrambles. In their rematch, however, Yan was able to make some key adjustments that involved a stronger emphasis on attaching whizzers as momentum stoppers – which is a smart adjustment for a fighter who has quick hip triggers and can shift backward when he needs to. Since Yan's battles with Magomedov, the now UFC champion still inherently tripods in scrambling scenarios but is smart about swimming his arms and re-wrestling from said positions. Nevertheless, despite Yan's knack for turning defense into offense, he will still be playing with fire should he let Sterling get in on his hips and create the scrambles he thrives in. A wrestler who’s not afraid to fight out of bad spots, Sterling – like Yan – shows no problems when having to attack or create scrambles off of his back. And once touching down on the mat, Sterling’s funky flow comes even further to life. Melding his wrestling base into his innovative jiu-jitsu, Sterling will combine things like chair-sits into leg weaves and rides, seamlessly climbing the walls of his opponent’s defenses. Not afraid to jump on a back, Sterling has also shown to be content in punishing opponents positionally, landing solid ground strikes when submissions are not available. Regardless of which side you're cheering for, I suspect we'll all be suffering from bated breath anytime this fight hits the floor.

Point of interest: Odds and opinions

Despite the sitting champion opening as a slight favorite, public money has made this bout dead even, listing both Yan and Sterling at -110 as of this writing. Though I don't disagree with the opening odds, I, too, find myself siding with the underdog in this spot. I've never picked against Yan prior to this bout, as I've always been a big believer in his skills and athletic ceiling. That said, MMA is a game where stylistic matchups can often trump popular sentiments and winning streaks alike. So, with that in mind, I can't help but side with the submission threats that Sterling brings to the table – specifically inside of the small cage. As we saw in Sterling's last outing inside the Apex (which also happened to be against a highly touted striker), the Serra-Longo fighter knew exactly the kind of game he had to play as he looked to pressure Sandhagen and counter his offense with a takedown. Should Sterling look to give Yan a similar welcoming to the smaller octagon, then I suspect the American will have an early edge against the sometimes slow-starting Russian. However, if Sterling fails to secure takedowns on the champion within the first two rounds, then expect Yan to punish the challenger in and out of clinch breaks down the stretch, as I see those spots providing him with a higher potency to land finishing blows to both the body and head. Still, I suspect that Sterling wasn't lying about his semi-recent wrist surgery restoring a lot of his grappling ability. I see him shining with another early submission win here.

Prediction: Sterling inside the distance

1

1