"That's a sick, sick, man" - Aljamain Sterling claims he is feeling "fat and gross" after weighing in at 176lbs exactly a week after his fight

Aljamain Sterling flexing his physique [Image Courtesy: @funkmastermma on Instagram]

Aljamain Sterling has seemingly put on quite a bit of weight since his recent title fight.

Last Saturday at UFC 273, ‘Funk Master’ unified the bantamweight championship by beating Petr Yan. After five rounds, Sterling was declared the winner via split decision, which caused controversy in the MMA community as notable figures disagreed with the result.

Now, a week later, Sterling posted a video of himself standing on a scale. The screen showed a weight of 176 lbs, which means that he has gained 41.5 lbs since officially weighing in last Friday. He wrote in the caption:

“Look at this bantamweight! That’s a sick, sick, man! 😩 Exactly 1 week after my fight. Wow…”

Look at this bantamweight! That’s a sick, sick, man! 😩 Exactly 1 week after my fight. Wow… https://t.co/GiguO8V4aW

Later, Sterling posted another tweet, stating that he is feeling “fat and gross” and that he will start a diet tomorrow.

“ I feel fat and gross. My cheeks are so big. I don’t recognize myself. Diet starts tmw. 😩🍕”

I feel fat and gross. My cheeks are so big. I don’t recognize myself. Diet starts tmw. 😩🍕

Fighters have to go on stringent diets that start weeks before scheduled bouts, allowing them to make weight easier. Moreover, they even dehydrate themselves severely in order to cut the last few pounds. After fights, fighters tend to balloon in size as they resume their normal intake of water, fat and carbohydrates.

Aljamain Sterling looked absolutely ripped ahead of his rematch against Petr Yan

While preparing for his unification bout against Petr Yan at UFC 273, Aljamain Sterling posted a video on Instagram. He looked to be in great shape and was flexing his ripped physique.

Sterling wrote in the post:

"It feels good to finally feel GREAT! Let’s see who gets the last laugh. Maroon warrior ting ah gwan!"

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The aforementioned fight was also a rematch, as both fought previously at UFC 259 in March last year. In the first fight, Yan was seemingly en route to a comfortable victory when he landed an illegal knee. He did so despite the referee’s warnings and suffered a disqualification loss, handing Sterling the title.

Sterling called out T.J. Dillashaw following his recent victory, while Yan called for a rematch with the reigning champion. A trilogy bout is inevitable and it remains to be seen how things will play out atop the bantamweight division.