"Do not do that kind of math again" - Chael Sonnen says Aljamain Sterling claiming he scored two 10-8 rounds was a "slippery slope"
![Chael Sonnen (left) and Aljamain Sterling (right) [Left photo via YouTube.com]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/04/b6911-16500093096243-1920.jpg?w=500)
Chael Sonnen warned Aljamain Sterling against trying to predict the scorecards mid-fight.
Sterling recently revealed that he was confident he won two 10-8 rounds against Petr Yan during their UFC 273 rematch last Saturday. However, Sonnen reminded the reigning bantamweight champion that banking on his hunches is a risky move.
Although it worked out in the end for Sterling, the former UFC middleweight said 'Funk Master' should learn from his experience and never try to assume how the judges score rounds. In a recent episode of his YouTube show, Sonnen said:
"It ended up working just fine, but Aljo spoke on why he was so sure he was ahead. He not only believe he was ahead in those three rounds going into four and five, he thought he had two 10-8 rounds. Aljo needs to learn something from this: Do not do that kind of math again! Aljo was wrong. That is not what the judges saw. One judge didn't even see the [first round] for him. I mean this was a slippery slope, very slippery."
Sterling retained the undisputed 135-pound title over his bitter rival Yan. However, the Uniondale native barely squeaked past a close split decision call. Judges Sal D'Amato and Eliseo Rodriguez both scored the bout 48-47 in favor of Sterling, while Christopher Lee gave the nod to Yan, 48-47.
Nonetheless, Sonnen pointed out that he agreed with the outcome of the fight. 'The American Gangster' continued:
"But set that aside, I've been stunned that people are pushing back and don't think he won the fight. That's just not what I saw. I saw exactly Aljo did. I didn't see the 10-8 business. The control was there for the 10-8, but not the damage."
Watch Chael Sonnen chime in on Aljamain Sterling's claims:
Aljamain Sterling says he was robbed of a 10-8 round against Petr Yan
Aljamain Sterling was left wondering why the judges didn't award him at least one 10-8 round.
Sterling's best output came in rounds two and three. He spent the majority of both rounds on Yan's back, landing shots and threatening submissions. That said, 'Funk Master' said he feels slighted by the judges, even though he was awarded the decision. The bantamweight champ told MMA Junkie:
"I won a clear-cut decision and somehow, some way people are grasping at straws to try to say that this man beat me. It’s fascinating. I got robbed from two 10-8s – at worst, one 10-8 round. Even if someone was crazy enough to try to score that round for Yan in the first, at best the fight’s a draw for him. That’s his best hope. Like, the guy did not win the fight."
Check out Aljamain Sterling's interview: