Aljamain Sterling 'no way in the world' won the first round according to John McCarthy
Thirteen months after their first fight, the rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan lived up to the hype. With UFC 273 in the rearview mirror, the MMA world continues to debate the judge's decision for the co-main event.
Watch Aljamain Sterling after the UFC 273 co-main event:
Aljo came in and settled business 😤🏆
[ @FunkMasterMMA | #UFC273 ] https://t.co/W569HoYmQx
Five rounds of action were not enough as the UFC bantamweight championship went to the judges. Sterling won by split decision and retained the title. MMA fans immediately started debating whether Yan should have won. A day later, some members of the MMA media have spoken out.
While speaking on the Weighing In podcast, former UFC referee and current Bellator commentator 'Big' John McCarthy had this to say:
"There is no way in the world you're gonna tell me that Aljo [Sterling] won that first round, but I will say, I thought he fought a great fight."
Watch John McCarthy discuss Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan below:
McCarthy referenced the first round going to Sterling, and some MMA fans agreed. The round consisted of Yan chasing 'The Funk Master' while the latter landed more strikes. The Bellator commentator felt the strikes were not significant, and 'No Mercy' should have won the first round, which would have given him the win.
Sterling and Yan first fought in March 2021, where 'The Funk Master' became the champion after 'No Mercy' was disqualified due to an illegal knee to the head of a downed opponent. After months of ridicule by the MMA world, the American was ready to silence the haters.
Regardless of people's opinions, Sterling put on an impressive performance and came out with the win. Although a third fight against Yan will eventually happen, TJ Dillashaw could be next for 'The Funk Master.' Who knows? This could be the start of a long title reign.
John McCarthy goes on a rant about Aljamain Sterling's lack of damage
McCarthy seemed to think the significant difference was the lack of damage done by Sterling. While speaking on Weighing In, 'Big John' had this to say about the bantamweight champion's performance:
"I thought it was a smart tactic by Aljamain to stay on the outside, to move continuously, but he didn't land much. He landed a couple of kicks, not real hard, and he got hit with some heavy shots."
Sterling vs. Yan 2 was the latest edition of MMA judging lacking specific guidelines. The MMA judge's criteria are based on certain aspects that can be subjective. For example, how is damage judged from a distance?
Watch Joe Rogan's short rant about MMA judging below:
.@JoeRogan on judging in MMA.
Sounds familiar👀 https://t.co/EpyR1NJjFa
Over the past few years, MMA judging has become more confusing than ever. Until the rules can be easily understood, questionable decisions will continue to be at the forefront of the fastest-growing sport in the world.