Gallery Petr Yan def. Jimmie Rivera at UFC 238: Best photos view 8 images

Petr Yan’s schedule has been nonstop since he made his UFC debut almost exactly one year ago, but he’ll now have to take a bit of a break.

Yan (13-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has fought and won under the UFC banner five times since his first octagon appearance in June 2018. He is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Jimmie Rivera at UFC 238 earlier this month in a performance made all the more impressive by the fact he wasn’t at 100 percent.

A case of synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane) in the left elbow caused the bantamweight contender to have surgery this week, MMA Junkie confirmed with Yan’s manager, Daniel Rubenstein. The recovery timeline after the procedure is expected at four to six weeks, Rubenstein said.

Once healthy, Yan will be prepared to return as soon as needed. He still hopes to fight Aljamain Sterling (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) for an interim UFC bantamweight title this year. Champion Henry Cejudo recently underwent a surgery of his own that will keep him out until December at the earliest, and Yan has pushed for the matchup with Sterling after they both fought and won at UFC 238.

Should the pairing materialize, Yan recently told MMA Junkie that he’s confident in his chances against Sterling.

“I don’t see it as a problem I can’t solve,” Yan said. “I will come out to beat him and punish him. He never faced anyone like me. His strikes are just scoring points and not hurting anyone, my strikes are meant to hurt you and when I will connect his butt will kiss the octagon floor.”

For now, though, Yan is focused on recovery. He took to social media on the day of his surgery and expressed optimism about his future (via Instagram):

Hello everyone, everything is fine with me 😊💪 🙏 the operation went according to the doctor’s plan 😊 in 1.5-2 months I will be in the ranks !!! 🙏 This injury really prevented me from getting ready for the last battle and beating and fighting Now we will plow even harder! All patience and believe in yourself, everything will work out! Thanks to my team @archangl_michael and @ufc for their help in the operation.

For more on the upcoming UFC schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.