“I had a great plan in my head to fight Silva! Everything was under my control and you yourself saw that he was broken,” Yan told MMAnytt in a recent interview.

Yan may come off as cocky, but he is correct. The Russian completely shut down Silva de Andrades game, and dominated both standing and on the ground, until the doctor ended up stopping the bout between the second and third round as the Brazilian couldn’t continue.

While a promising talent for the past few years, the huge victory at UFC 232 opened many eyes, and set up an upcoming bout against number eight ranked former title challenger John Dodson (20-10).

“About Dodson I will say that this is my time, as [beating a fighter] standing above me in [the rankings] is a big plus for me! I hope we will show a beautiful fight, and I will win.”

Two time title challenger Dodson has faced many of the best fighters in both the fly- and bantamweight division, and has more professional MMA experience. Aside from his perhaps overlooked experience, Yan sees a special advantage in the power and skills that, according to him, comes from his home region of Siberia. “I am young and I have a lot of experience in both amateur and professional [fights]! And I will also say that I am the only Siberian in the UFC, this is all the power!” Yan claims that what Siberian fighters lack in numbers, they make up for with unique capabilities and aspects. The bout with Dodson may be Yan’s first of 2019, but if all goes according to plan, it certainly wont be his last. “In 2019 I want to fight as much as in 2018! It all depends on the state of mind and body!”

The UFC will be returning to Russia this year with an upcoming event in St. Petersburg on April 20th – an event Yan is hoping to compete at as well. Despite his recent entry into the UFC top 15 rankings, Yan isn’t content with simply being a top fighter, he wants to be the best.

“There are those who are above me in rankings, it motivates me! I want to be the best.”