Aljamain Sterling won the bantamweight title last year against Petr Yan in controversial fashion as the latter landed an illegal knee during their fight at UFC 260. After his questionable win, there were a lot of critics slamming Aljo as Yan dominated the bout until that moment.
However, the bantamweight champion left no question marks this time around in the rematch as he edged past Yan via split decision in the co-main event of UFC 273. It is needless to say that it would be difficult to topple a barn burner between Chimaev and Burns. However, this fight had it’s intense moments as Sterling almost finished Petr Yan with a submission twice.
Aljo showcased his class on the ground as he landed a brilliant takedown and took the back of Petr Yan in the second and third rounds of the fight. He controlled him on the ground for over seven minutes and had Yan in trouble as he almost manoeuvred a rear-naked choke. However, Petr held his ground and made an unexpected comeback in the fourth round.
No Mercy landed some good shots and defended Sterling’s takedown attempts. It was Petr who controlled Sterling on the ground in the fourth round to stay alive in the fight. Consequently, Petr carried the momentum in the final round as he overpowered Sterling on the mat.
However, Aljamain’s dominance in the first three rounds of the fight was enough for him to defend his bantamweight title successfully as the judges scored the contest 47-48, 48-47 and 47-48 in favour of him.
TJ Dillashaw Callout – Aljamain Sterling makes a statement after his win over Petr Yan at UFC 273
After his impressive split decision win over Petr Yan in what as a close affair that went to the distance, Aljamain Sterling called out former champion TJ Dillashaw who was present in the VyStar Arena in Jacksonville Florida. Even before UFC commentator Joe Rogan could congratulate Aljo for his win, the undisputed bantamweight champion grabbed the microphone and made a statement.
The champ has his next target in his sights ????????
[ @FunkmasterMMA | #UFC273 ] pic.twitter.com/tUILOnYCd1
— UFC (@ufc) April 10, 2022
“Tj Dillashaw, I wanna f**k you up next b***h.” Thereafter he also dissed the former champion by expressing his wish to fight him next “100% TJ Needleshaw, TJ Pillashaw, TJ everything under the sun. Let’s go you might as well be done motherf****r.”
It is needless to say that Sterling has shut all his critics with a resounding win over a tough contender like Petr Yan. Now that he has laid his eyes on Dillashaw, fans would love to see these two bantamweights clash inside the octagon.