Petr Yan asks Dana White for "rematch with Pride rules" against Aljamain Sterling
Petr Yan is adamant about avenging his UFC 259 loss to Aljamain Sterling next. The former champion recently tweeted at Dana White, demanding a rematch with 'Funk Master'.
The tweet was in response to Dana White's photo with Nobuyuki Sakakibara (Rizin Fighting Federation president) and undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather. The UFC supremo captioned the picture:
"WTF is going on here?"
Petr Yan, who lost to Aljo by disqualification, made a funny remark suggesting that a rematch with Sterling under PRIDE rules might be in the works:
Petr Yan's disqualification at UFC 259 came after he threw an illegal knee at Aljamain Sterling. Referee Mark Smith waved off the fight, making Sterling the new 135-lbs champion. Petr Yan was gutted by the decision and demanded for a prompt rematch to rectify his blunder:
“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 I before, I was punished already for what I did. I already lost the belt and the PPV points and whatever comes with becoming a champion," said Petr Yan in an interview with ESPN.
Why does Petr Yan want PRIDE rules incorporated for rematch with Aljamain Sterling?
According to the revised set of unified MMA rules, kicking a downed opponent in the head will result in immediate disqualification. If a fighter has both hands (palm/fists) touching the fighting area floor, he/she is considered a grounded opponent. This was the case in the Bantamweight clash at UFC 259.
In the heat of the moment, Petr Yan claims to have not noticed Sterling's hand touching the ground. When a cornerman reportedly urged 'No Mercy' to kick Aljo, Yan threw an illegal knee that ultimately led to his defeat.
If PRIDE rules were in place at UFC 259, Petr Yan wouldn't have faced a disqualification loss. As per the rulebook of the Japanese MMA promotion, soccer kicks to the face, stomps, and knees to the head of a grounded opponent will not be considered illegal.