Yan-Sterling targeted for UFC 256 co-main event

A bantamweight title fight between champion Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling is in the works to co-headline UFC 256 on Dec. 12, Dana White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto.

The fighters have yet to sign contracts, sources told Okamoto.

This booking is a long time coming. Sterling has been waiting for a title shot since finishing fellow top contender Cory Sandhagen with a first-round submission in June. White had said the fight would be a title eliminator, but the UFC president remained noncommittal about Sterling getting a title shot afterward.

White finally confirmed in August that Sterling would likely be the next to face Yan, but there had been no date attached to the fight until now.

"Funk Master" has won five straight bouts, a streak that also includes decisions over Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera.

Yan captured the vacant 135-pound title by stopping former featherweight champion Jose Aldo via fifth-round TKO in July. "No Mercy" is 7-0 in the UFC; he beat the likes of Urijah Faber, Rivera, and John Dodson before getting a crack at the belt.

Yan is riding a 10-fight winning streak and has only lost once as a professional.

UFC 256 will also feature a women's featherweight title fight between two-division champion Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson. A location for the card has not yet been announced.