'It was a little bit of a frustrating time' - Aljamain Sterling says he wasn't fond of Petr Yan fighting for the vacant title
Aljamain Sterling will finally challenge for the UFC bantamweight championship this weekend when he faces Petr Yan at UFC 259. Sterling had to remain patient before getting his rightful shot at the belt.
In an interview with ESPN, Aljamain Sterling admitted that it was "a little bit frustrating" for him to wait for his title shot. Whereas reigning champion Yan fought Jose Aldo for the belt after Henry Cejudo retired from the UFC. Sterling said:
"It was a little bit of a frustrating time, I just wasn't sure what exactly was going to happen, how the cards would end up playing out. But, a little frustrating to say the least but I had to, kind of just do what I had to do to get myself one more chance to give himself a little bit more of a budge forward to be the guy next in line for that title shot."
Aljamain Sterling has been unbeaten in the UFC since 2018. The #1 contender earned his shot at the belt after a submission win over Cory Sandhagen in his last fight.
The 31-year-old American also has wins over the likes of Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera. This established him as the rightful contender for the UFC bantamweight championship.
Aljamain Sterling will finally get his chance to win gold at UFC 259
This weekend's UFC 259 pay-per-view is a stacked card that features three title fights. Israel Adesanya will aim to win his second title as he challenges UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz. If Adesanya wins, he will become only the sixth fighter in the UFC to hold two simultaneous belts.
Meanwhile, Amanda Nunes will put her 145-lbs title on the line against Megan Anderson. Petr Yan will also make his first title defense against Aljamain Sterling after winning the UFC bantamweight title by beating Jose Aldo at UFC 251.
The new 135-pound champion was decided after Henry Cejudo announced his retirement from the sport following his win over Dominick Cruz.