Aljamain Sterling says he is eager to prove he had an "off night" in the Petr Yan fight
Aljamain Sterling spoke about his infamous fight against Petr Yan at UFC 259.
'Funk Master' described his dynamic with Petr Yan. The reigning UFC bantamweight champion clarified that his underwhelming performance against 'No Mercy' at UFC 259 was just an unfortunate event.
Speaking to ESPN MMA, Aljamain Sterling said:
"I think we are just both two high level competitors, and we both want to really, really shut the other person up. I come from a wrestling background... It just comes to that you hear a little bit of chirping and you want to shut the other person up and I can't wait for the opportunity to prove that I just had an off night [at UFC 259]. I respect him, his family and everything they've done. They have worked hard to be where they are and at the end of the day that's respectable. This is a hard sport... We got a lot of unsettled business and I can't wait to shut that guy up for good."
Watch Aljamain Sterling's full interview below:
Aljamain Sterling won the UFC bantamweight championship against Petr Yan after absorbing an illegal knee to the face by the Russian. Until then, the fight was easily dominated by the current interim bantamweight champ. However, after the illegal blow, Sterling was unable to continue. The belt was awarded to Sterling via disqualification.
Joe Rogan addresses controversy, confusion over Petr Yan’s UFC 259 illegal knee mmaweekly.com/joe-rogan-addr… https://t.co/sgrqThLuO4
The two top bantamweights have been going back and forth on social media since Yan lost his title.
The rematch is yet to be finalized, but will soon take place, especially after Yan secured the interim bantamweight title with his recent defeat of Cory Sandhagen.
Aljamain Sterling posted a clip om Twitter blaming the slippery canvas for costing him 'one of the best positions'
Aljamain Sterling shared a clip from his fight with Petr Yan to prove his case that he had slipped, owing to the wet canvas. Due to this, he lost a golden opportunity to keep 'No Mercy' grounded.
In the clip, Sterling is seen trying to secure a takedown and gain top position. Sterling had control of Yan's right leg but the Russian was trying to get up. While trying to defend against Yan's attempt to return to his feet, Sterling's left leg appeared to slide as Yan found the perfect opportunity to get back up.
Watch the clip below:
.Tape study begins again! Student of the game. #InDueTime!
P.S: Us wrestlers would have a much easier time if we can fix this slip issue @UFC! https://t.co/qlsGDeen4N