"His body wasn't reacting the way it should've been" - Adrian Yanez recalls the difficulties Aljamain Sterling faced in sparring
Adrian Yanez has spoken candidly about the problems Aljamain Sterling had with his neck when they recently sparred together.
Yanez is thought to be one of the most exciting young talents in the UFC today. His recent wins over Gustavo Lopez and Randy Costa only cemented that status.
The 26-year-old is set to return to action later this month when he locks horns with Davey Grant, a fellow “knockout artist” as of late. The victor will take a substantial step forward in the increasingly difficult bantamweight division.
Current champion Aljamain Sterling is currently recovering from neck surgery. The lingering issues from the procedure took him out of last weekend’s UFC 267 card.
After the pair trained together recently, Yanez spoke about how Aljamain Sterling's neck problems are impacting the champ. In an interview with Sherdog, the 135-pound prospect said 'Funk Master' knew his body wasn't right.
“In some positions he felt his neck, and then in others he knew he had to pull off a little bit. But honestly, his body just wasn’t feeling right for him. It was something with his nervous system, his body wasn’t reacting the way it should’ve been. He initially flew me out because he wanted looks for Petr Yan and the boxing side, so he could get tips and tricks here and there.
“When he pulled out it was kind of a shock to me, but in a lot of positions he was very timid. Overall, he’s gotten a lot better. He’s doing a lot of physical therapy and he’s back in Vegas doing PT with the UFC doctors.”
Catch Sherdog's interview with Adrian Yanez below:
What’s next for Aljamain Sterling?
At UFC 267, Petr Yan was able to defeat Cory Sandhagen and claim the UFC interim bantamweight title. In doing so, he almost certainly set up a unification showdown with Aljamain Sterling for next year.
'Funk Master' has spoken at length about how badly he wants to take on Yan again after how their first bout ended earlier this year. An illegal knee in that contest left Aljamain Sterling unable to continue, with Yan being disqualified as a result. From there, the championship was awarded to Sterling, a decision that’s been viewed as controversial to this day.
In the rematch, there will be no room for excuses in what is bound to be one of the most anticipated title fights of 2022.