John Yannis made a statement in his second Octagon appearance, stopping Jamie Siraj by ground-and-pound TKO at UFC Fight Night 273.
The bantamweight clash opened the prelims at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, where Yannis secured his first UFC win. With the result, Yannis moved to 10-4 in MMA and 1-1 in the UFC, while Siraj dropped to 14-4 overall and 0-1 in the promotion.
"I took eight months off and grinded. I came from a loss, so I felt like I had something to prove coming into enemy territory. It feels good, and I couldn't ask for a better night," Yannis said after the victory.
Yannis referenced his short-notice UFC debut, adding, "Coming off the 'L' is awesome. For Bashi, I took the fight on four days' notice at a weight class higher. I truly believe I'm one of the most dangerous guys at 135, so a full camp at 135 against an opponent, I'd put the house on me every single time."
Before joining the UFC, Yannis built momentum in Fury FC, where he defeated Nick Aguirre to claim the 135-pound title and put together a run that shifted from decision wins to finishes by strikes.
Looking ahead, Yannis made it clear he wants to stay busy at bantamweight. "… When I was fighting on the regional scene, I was fighting four or five times a year. Activity is what I want. I love to be inside that cage."
