Aljamain Sterling reveals why he was cleared by doctors despite being severely concussed following illegal knee strike at UFC 259
Even though doctors cleared Aljamain Sterling in the post-fight checkup, following the concussion brought on by Petr Yan's illegal knee at UFC 259, 'Funkmaster' is adamant that the strike caused significant damage.
In a recent tweet, Aljamain Sterling responded to fans bickering about the severity of Petr Yan's illegal knee. Although there was no bleeding registered following the fight, the UFC bantamweight champion believes that getting hit by the Russian fighter's knee-cap certainly took a toll on him.
"The fact that this is still an ongoing thing is comical. Too many “doctors” think they know what another person has felt when blindsided, with a full-on strike of a knee cap to the head. Yes, I was cleared because I had no bleeding. Thank god. I'm glad some people have a brain," Sterling tweeted.
Many MMA personalities, including Aljamain Sterling's arch-rival Petr Yan, have claimed that the Funkmaster' was faking the ramifications of the unintentional illegal knee thrown by Russian.
In a recent interview with ESPN's Ariel Helwani, the former bantamweight champion claimed that Sterling was exaggerating the impact of the illegal knee at UFC 259.
"You can see. After the knee landed, he was trying to recover. But then I feel like he started to exaggerate, he started acting. Because he heard what the referee said. I feel like he could've continued but he chose not to. First, he claimed he doesn't remember what happened and then he started explaining what happened," said Petr Yan's translator.
"Then he is doing interviews after the fight. So for me, he was very well aware of what was going on and what he was doing. It was his decision to get a disqualification win," added the translator.
Petr Yan wants an immediate rematch with Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan have been relentlessly trading barbs on social media following the UFC 259 fiasco. Earlier this month, the NCAA Division III wrestler called out Petr Yan on Twitter for demanding an immediate rematch.
Taking umbrage at Aljamain Sterling's reply, Petr Yan hurled insults at the new champion through a series of tweets.
Petr Yan has said that he is ready to fight against Aljamain Sterling on a month's notice if required. The Russian fighter regrets his unintentional knee and wants a shot at redemption.
“UFC already reached out to me and asked when I’m ready to fight again. I already told them I’m ready, one month, two months' time. Whenever they want to do it. Like I said before, I was punished already for what I did. I already lost the belt and the PPV points and whatever comes with being a champion," said Petr Yan.