Adrian Yanez: Fulfilling A Promise

If you asked, who was Andreas Yanez? His loved ones, and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him, a man’s man, would be the first thing said about the late Andreas, mainly for the beautiful, contagious energy he carried. Following his passing back in 2016 due to an ongoing battle with stage 4 cancer, his wisdom and energy transferred into a young man who made him a promise, his son, UFC star Adrian Yanez.

Adrian dropped jaws worldwide in his spectacular knockout on Dana White’s contender series, earning himself a nickname by the bossman, labelling him as a “Sniper.” Most importantly, Yanez left the UFC Apex that night with a UFC contract in his hand. However, Adrian’s joy wouldn’t have been completed unless he took the contract to the place where the closest soul to his heart laid at.

While contemplating taking his UFC contract to his dad’s gravesite, Yanez was overwhelmed with emotions of fear and anxiousness, but a soothing memory attached with a voice brought calmness to the 26-year-old. It was a quote from his father, “Family is everything.” And fear was no more, so Yanez headed to his father’s gravesite with his family by his side, fueled with gratitude in their hearts.

They say that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and in the case of Yanez, it couldn’t be more accurate. While millions around the around were in awe of Adrian’s phenomenal striking skills and poise inside the octagon, his hero and father, Andreas, was an exceptional Boxer in his own right, with three Golden Glove trophies to prove it.

The late Andreas Yanez was a fighter, not by choice but by heart. Dedicating years of serving in the bravest occupation of all as a Marine. With the trauma that haunts most individuals after leaving the army, Andreas was faced with another battle in the form of addiction. Eventually, being a fighter at heart helped him to overcome that battle. However, the drive to do it was so pure yet powerful. It was simple, his family.

It takes a special man to overcome such overwhelming hardships consecutively, which speaks to the character of Adrian’s father that he draws inspiration from throughout his journey.

While driving his son to practice, both men enjoyed their truck talk, dreaming about the future and glory Adrian was envisioning early on. And in moments where doubt kicked in for the young dreamer, his father used to always wake him up with reassurance and faith by telling him, “People will say you can’t, even you might say to yourself that you can’t do it, so remember to always use it as a fuel to prove you can.”

Yanez walks every step on the road towards greatness with those words echoing in his mind, reassuring him that he is indeed destined to achieve everything he and his father talked about years prior to what the world is currently witnessing.

Dateline Las Vegas, on Hallows’ eve, Yanez made the walk of his manifestation under the brightest lights of all on the undercard of arguably the greatest striker of all time, Anderson Silva. However, ferociousness was on full display that night by Yanez, stealing the show with a devastating head kick knockout while also stealing a fifty thousand dollar bonus cheque for the masterpiece he drew at the cost of his opponent’s agony.

With that stunning performance, I couldn’t help but think of Adrian’s father. With him being a Marine, composure was a necessity when it comes to facing danger. Being in the midst of the battlefield, maintaining composure is the most crucial part while being under the fire, which is precisely what Yanez showed. In an early firefight in the theatre of the unknown, his composure was unlike any other, and it eventually secured him the victory.

Following that spectacular performance, Yanez was matched up with fellow hard-hitting Bantamweight Gustavo Lopez.

It was Deja Vu all over again. Yanez took over the octagon with his presence that demanded respect. And while it was another firefight but with even a more formidable adversary this time, the outcome was the same. Another vicious knockout that was built on the rising star’s composure under pressure. Raising deuces while exiting the UFC Apex with another fifty thousand dollar bonus cheque.

Many fighters reach the pinnacle of the sport purely with their cerebral skillsets alongside a championship mindset. However, there’s something to be said about a fighter’s journey that revolves around fulfiling a promise to a loved soul, driving the individual’s purpose with unparalleled passion and perseverance regardless of what’s in store on the other side. In simpler words, it just feels like inevitable destiny towards greatness.

Ten years ago, while Adrian was having the usual truck talk with pops after training, they took the 45 Scott exit to be instantly met with the big, red, iconic Toyota Center letters, Leaving both men marvelling at its beauty.

“Dad, I’m going to fight there one day for the UFC,” the young dreamer said. His dad replied, “I know you will. Just stay consistent, calm and composed, and you’ll get there.”

With the UFC gearing up to host shows in arenas with fans in attendance, their second destination for UFC262 will occur in nowhere other than the Totoya Center in Houston, Texas. You can’t script this. Although nothing is official yet, it seems that the universe is working towards the promised path for Yanez.

That promise is about to be fulfilled. However, the one that holds the most value for Yanez is when he promised his dad that he would become a champion before it’s all set and done. And While Adrian’s first attempt at securing a belt in LFA didn’t work, the pattern of his career is showing slowly but surely that it’s leading towards fulfilling that promise in the place where it matters the most, the UFC.

“My Dad wasn’t the greatest example before getting sober, but the greatest example that he did was giving everything up for the people he loved and, through it all, keeping his promise.”