UFC interim bantamweight champion Petr Yan is ramping up the mental warfare ahead of his rematch with official titleholder Aljamain Sterling.
Yan and Sterling will unify the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 273 in Jacksonville, FL, nearly a year after the two top bantamweights squared off at UFC 259. Sterling won the bout via disqualification following an illegal knee from Yan in the fourth round.
Tensions have continued to build between Sterling and Yan ahead of their highly-anticipated rematch. They were supposed to fight back at UFC 267, but Sterling pulled out with a lingering injury on short notice. Yan would go on to beat Cory Sandhagen for the interim title.
In a recent tweet, Yan had a bit of fun at Sterling’s expense and showed that there’s still no love lost between the two 135 pounders.
Sterling has yet to defend his bantamweight title since earning the belt controversially in his first matchup with Yan. The two fighters have accused each other of delaying the rematch and have gone back and forth on numerous occasions on social media.
Despite Sterling being the current bantamweight titleholder, it’s Yan who holds a spot in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. Sterling will look to rewrite the script at UFC 273.
What is your prediction for Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan 2?
Yes, it’s been one year to the day since Aljamain Sterling won the UFC bantamweight championship in what was the most controversial UFC title win of all time. Next month, the two will finally have a rematch at UFC 273 to settle this unfinished business. Until then, you can check out our coverage of the “knee heard round the world” immediately after it happened in the article below.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day in MMA History…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED MARCH 6, 2021, 11:08 PM CT]
Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling didn’t disappoint.
The two fighters met in a bantamweight title bout on Saturday night (March 6, 2021) at the UFC 259 event from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility.
The first round saw Sterling come out aggressive and even caught him with a flying knee strike. This apparently woke up Yan, who scored a few takedowns and even knocked him down with a right hand. Sterling appeared to be rushing his movement as he was tripping and slipping. It was a wild pace early as Sterling was constantly in his face.
Sterling started to slow down in the third round as Yan continued to take over. Yan shut down Sterling’s clinch and takedown attempts but gave him solid competition on the feet if not out striking. Yan started to pick him apart with his sniper-like strikes in the fourth round. Sterling had one knee down and Yan landed a huge knee strike to the face of Sterling. The referee told Yan that Sterling was down before the strike was thrown. Thus, Sterling couldn’t continue, the referee called it a DQ and Sterling won the fight as well as the belt.
Peep the highlights of the fight courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:
The doctor has called off the fight after speaking to Aljamain Sterling, who was struck with an illegal knee by Petr Yan at #UFC259pic.twitter.com/oRLduQfraV
Sterling entered this fight on a five-fight winning streak and won his last seven out of eight bouts. The winning streak, including decision wins over the likes of Brett Johns, Jimmie Rivera, and Pedro Munoz while he tapped out Cody Stamann, and choked out Cory Sandhagen at the UFC 250 pay-per-view event.
Yan won the vacant bantamweight title when he scored a TKO win over Jose Aldo at the UFC 251 pay-per-view event. Yan entered this fight on a 9-fight winning streak with his previous three fights seeing him beat Urijah Faber by KO at the UFC 245 pay-per-view event, John Dodson by decision at the UFC on ESPN+ 3 from the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic and Jimmie Rivera at the UFC 238 pay-per-view event from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on June 8, 2019.
UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling has made a promise ahead of his unification showdown with rival Petr Yan at UFC 273.
Sterling’s reign atop the 135-pound mountain was forged in controversial fashion at UFC 259 last March. Against Yan, a Russian star who was predicted by many to rule the division for a long time, “Funk Master” emerged with the belt after eating an illegal knee to the head in the fourth round.
A subsequent disqualification jumped Sterling from likely defeat to champion status. While the illegal nature of the blow he sustained is undeniable, many doubted, and continue to criticize, Sterling’s reaction to it and failure to continue.
Some, including fellow UFC peers like Darren Till and Henry Cejudo, even mocked the new champ by suggesting he had delivered an acting performance worthy of an Academy Award.
Nominated for an Oscar this year are: Robert de niro Leonardo dicaprio Margot Robbie Aljamain Sterling #UFC259
Having missed out on the ‘Best Actor’ honor to Anthony Hopkins at last April’s Oscars, Sterling is hoping to go one better than public nominee this time around…
Sterling Vows To Outdo Denzel Washington At UFC 273
Once again embracing the jokes and de-legitimization of his championship status, as he often has, the New York native assured fans he’s been hard at work to reach a Denzel Washington-level of performance at UFC 273.
“Well, I’ve been training a lot, a lot of PT. They have these schools out here, these acting schools. I’ve been going to a lot of those, putting in a lot of extra time,” said Sterling. “So you guys are gonna see a much better [Academy-Award-winning] performance this time. And you guys are gonna be shocked, man. Denzel [Washington] really doesn’t have anything on me. I’m telling you right now. Denzel, Training Day, John Q—nothin’.”
Given the ongoing prominent fighter pay debate, there’s perhaps a comparison to be made between Washington’s John Q character and the UFC fighters pushing for better remuneration.
While he’s been more than happy to engage in memes and jokes surrounding his title crowning last year, Sterling will certainly be looking to focus on the task at hand come April 9.
He will no doubt acknowledge himself as the only true champion in the division, but some believe interim titleholder Yan holds that crown. UFC 273 will provide a chance for Sterling to legitimize his reign once and for all. Against a fighter like “No Mercy,” he’ll have a tough task on his hands.
Who do you think will leave UFC 273 as the undisputed bantamweight king, Aljamain Sterling or Petr Yan?
The UFC bantamweight champion has once again taken aim at his detractors.
Aljamain Sterling has had a rough 2021. After becoming the first champion to win the belt via disqualification, Sterling became the target of MMA fans. Petr Yan landed an illegal knee in their title bout, and Sterling was unable to continue. Yet, fans were quick to point out that they felt Sterling overreacted to the blow.
If you’ve been following Yan and Sterling on social media, it’s no secret they don’t like each other. The fighters have gone back and forth on social media and memes disparaging Sterling are aplenty around the web. All this seems to feed Sterling.
Prior to the fight being rebooked for UFC 273 in April, Sterling went on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour to explain one of the incentives to beating Yan in the rematch: rubbing it in others’ faces.
“So it’d be nice to make some money. And I can’t wait to do it and shove it up everyone’s asses and have them just—I’m gonna be so petty, man. I try to be humble about my wins. I always talk shit before the fights with all my opponents, but I always be humble about the wins. But this one, there’s just something different where I feel like it’s deserved.
Aljamain Sterling, Image Credit: UFC.com
“And either way. Knock on wood, if things don’t go my way and he decides to do the same thing, that’s fine. I’ll eat it. I’ll eat it. I’m a man of my word, I back up my words, and I have no problem eating shit if I lose. But at the same time, I really do in my heart feel like I’m better than this guy and I can’t wait to have everyone just suck it.”
When Sterling pulled out of the rematch at UFC 267, Cory Sandhagen stepped up to fight the Russian destroyer. Sandhagen and Yan put on an entertaining display of technical mastery that ended with the interim belt around Yan’s waist.
Sterling has been absent from the Octagon since winning the title back in March. That will change when he steps into the Octagon to finally settle the score with Petr Yan in April.
How do you think the Yan/Sterling rematch goes down?
Rising UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley has given his take on the upcoming unification showdown between champion Aljamain Sterling and interim titleholder Petr Yan.
While it may have been initially delayed after Sterling underwent neck surgery and later pulled off the UFC 267 card last October, we finally appear set to see the two rivals settle their score inside the Octagon.
But while the Russian is in hot form and is yet to be beaten in the UFC outside of his DQ setback, one ranked 135lber is warning against counting Sterling out.
During an appearance on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast earlier this month, O’Malley insisted Sterling is too “smart” to make the same mistakes and follow the same game plan he brought into UFC 259 last year. While “Sugar” doesn’t necessarily believe “Funk Master” will beat Yan, he does believe the champ has the tools to do it.
“I do-ish (see the rematch going down the same way). But I also think Aljamain is smart. He’s not a stupid guy. He’s very, very high level, his résumé speaks for itself,” O’Malley said. “I think he went in with the wrong game plan (at UFC 259). He went in and gassed out in a couple rounds. If you watch Petr’s fights, you know he’s gonna cruise for a little bit, try to figure you out, and then start putting on the pressure in the later rounds. He does that every fight.
“Aljamain Sterling’s gotta see that, gotta recognize that, and come in with a different game plan,” added O’Malley. “I think Aljamain has skills, and he has the skills; he could beat Petr. I don’t necessarily see it happening, but I’m not counting him out. He’s a top, top bantamweight for a reason, and I think it’s gonna be a very interesting fight.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYLfci5rx4x/
While his status as champion has been disputed and looked down upon by some, Sterling’s ability can’t be denied, as was proven during his run before facing Yan. His five straight victories prior to UFC 259 included triumphs against Sandhagen, Pedro Munhoz, Jimmie Rivera, and Cody Stamann.
While Yan will be looking to regain the undisputed belt he doesn’t believe he rightfully lost, Sterling will be hoping to prove many in the MMA community wrong at UFC 273 and legitimize his place on the bantamweight mountaintop.
Who do you think will leave UFC 273 as the undisputed bantamweight king, Aljamain Sterling or Petr Yan?
UFC bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley doesn’t believe champion Aljamain Sterling and interim titleholder Petr Yan are “big enough” to headline a pay-per-view.
The much-anticipated rematch between Sterling and Yan, originally scheduled for UFC 267 last October, was set to go down at UFC 272 in March. After they were to unify the bantamweight title in the co-main, Alexander Volkanovski was targeted to defend his featherweight belt against Max Holloway in the main event.
During a recent episode of his YouTube podcast, #12-ranked bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley commented on the adjusted schedule. His takeaway from the decision to move Sterling and Yan’s rematch to UFC 273 was that the pair simply aren’t big enough to headline a pay-per-view.
O’Malley’s solution to the bantamweight division not boasting PPV-headline names? “Big daddy.”
“You know what’s crazy to me? Well, I don’t know if it’s crazy or not. Petr and Aljo can’t main event their own pay-per-view. So their main event [Volkanovski vs. Holloway 3] pulled out. They couldn’t just, ‘Ah, we’ll be main event.’ They’re not big enough. It’s weird. The best division in the UFC, maybe, and they can’t even headline their own pay-per-view. They need big daddy.”
Petr Yan has his theory on why the UFC opted to move his scheduled rematch with Aljamain Sterling from UFC 272 to the UFC 273 co-main.
Yan lost his bantamweight title to Sterling at UFC 259 after landing an illegal knee to a grounded Sterling late in the fight. Sterling would earn the title via disqualification and the saga began regarding rematch talks.
Sterling and Yan were originally scheduled to square off at UFC 267, but Sterling pulled out due to lingering health issues. Yan would go on to fight and defeat Cory Sandhagen for the interim belt at UFC 267.
After they were originally scheduled once again to battle at UFC 272, the fight has now been pushed back to UFC 273. The two sides have gone at it on social media regarding the reasoning for the delay, with Sterling accusing Yan of being responsible for it.
The two went at it on Twitter regarding the situation, with Yan citing Sterling as the reasoning.
Pathetic liar desperately trying to look good and control the narrative but it won’t work. I’m vaccinated and ready to bash you anywhere even tomorrow. UFC simply doesn’t want fake champion to headline the event. https://t.co/aPG3WECd5m
“Pathetic liar desperately trying to look good and control the narrative but it won’t work. I’m vaccinated and ready to bash you anywhere even tomorrow. UFC simply doesn’t want fake champion to headline the event,” Yan tweeted.
The UFC and president Dana White haven’t come out publically and explained the fight getting pushed back. Yan’s attack prompted a brutal response from Sterling.
Lmao I’m only repeating what I was told from the bosses 🤷🏾♂️. Don’t get your potato tits in a twist! I’d happily fuc k you up tmw too. That can easily be arranged. Мышь https://t.co/lI4IuU2pYA
“Lmao I’m only repeating what I was told from the bosses. Don’t get your potato tits in a twist! I’d happily fuck you up tmw too. That can easily be arranged.”
The bantamweight title picture has been searching for clarity ever since Sterling controversially earned the belt. The UFC’s feelings about the situation can be attributed to Yan being on the pound-for-pound list while the champion Sterling is notably absent.
For now, it appears that the Sterling-Yan rematch is set to happen at UFC 273, and fans will need to keep their fingers crossed regarding any potential shakeups between now and then.
What is your prediction for the Petr Yan-Aljamain Sterling rematch?
UPDATE: The rematch will officially take place at UFC 273 on April 9 per a Tuesday report from MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.
***
Aljamain Sterling confirmed reports that his rematch with Petr Yan at UFC 272 may get pushed back to April.
Sterling got the belt via disqualification after Yan landed an illegal knee at UFC 259. The UFC has attempted to put the rematch together on multiple occasions, but injuries and other issues have come to the surface.
Sterling and Yan were supposed to fight at UFC 267 before Sterling pulled out due to lingering health issues. Yan would then fight and beat Cory Sandhagen for the interim bantamweight title.
During a recent post on social media, Sterling confirmed rumors that the Yan rematch may be in jeopardy once again.
“Yes, they’re talking about pushing my fight back to April,” Sterling said. “Not because of me. This is what I was told: [Mocking] ‘Yan isn’t vaccinated so he can’t fight in March’.
“I actually respect his gangster. If this is the real reason, I actually respect his stance. I respect it, but it doesn’t make any sense. And I’m making fun of it because it’s like, is he going to be vaccinated in April? I don’t think so. So what are we doing?
“I just want to know when we’re fighting. It’s about time we get to punch each other in the face. So, hopefully, we can figure this out sooner rather than later, unify these belts and figure out who is really the guy.”
The tension between Sterling and Yan has skyrocketed in recent months. Sterling has accused Yan of using performance-enhancing drugs, which Yan has vehemently denied.
Since the time of their first matchup, the UFC’s bantamweight division has grown into arguably the most stacked division in the sport. The title picture is in desperate need of clarity, beginning with the second chapter of Sterling vs. Yan.
As of now, it appears that the fight could likely get pushed back to UFC 273 in April, which is slated to be the promotion’s pay-per-view in Brooklyn, NY. Therefore, fans may have to wait a little longer to see these two rivals go to battle once again.
What is your reaction to the Aljamain Sterling/Petr Yan rematch getting pushed back once again?
Petr Yan, Aljamain Sterling Face-Off, Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
It was revealed Wednesday that Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan will finally have their long-awaited rematch after their controversial first bout at UFC 259 last February. Sterling won the bantamweight championship after Yan landed an illegal knee in what was the most controversial endings to any fight, let alone title fight, in UFC history.
The trash talk has never stopped since that fight, which means it has been ongoing for the past 11 months. As recently as this week, Sterling doubled down on his belief that Yan uses performance-enhancing drugs, and Yan has continued to fire back at Sterling on social media.
But now that their rematch is set, what did the rest of social media have to say about the sequel being official? You can get the raw reactions from The Pulse of MMA down below!
I hope Sterling somehow manages to win this just so it pisses off all the trolls who've been sending him over the top abuse
My ideal outcome would be a Sterling performance impressive enough to be an exciting resurgence putting him right back in the mix while Yan stays the king of BW violence. Either way, excited as hell for the fight and for this chapter to get closure because the jokes are so old.
Aljamain has had time to rest and recover, he’s undoubtedly learnt from his mistakes. He comes from a great camp and he will be much better prepared this time. Yan by Murder
With all due disrespect, Yan vs Sterling 1 was more competitive than most of us remember. So let’s not underestimate the paper champ. Yan admitted that he felt off and didn’t follow the game plan and kinda wanted to prove a point with dominating in the wrestling game.
The UFC Bantamweight Championship will be unified later this year, as current champ Aljamain Sterling will meet interim titleholder Petr Yan at UFC 272.
The matchup gives Yan the chance to reclaim the undisputed bantamweight title. But on the other side, it gives Sterling the opportunity to get another win and override his most controversial victory yet.
Sterling became champion in March 2021 as a fourth-round illegal knee landed by Yan disqualified him from their title fight. This result caused the belt to change hands and gave Yan his first loss since joining the UFC.
While Sterling’s title win in 2021 was controversial, it came after a respected run up the bantamweight rankings. He picked up five consecutive wins from 2018 to 2020, including two submission victories.
He has yet to compete since he earned the belt in the first quarter of 2021.
Sterling Suffers Injury, Yan Earns Interim Belt In Late 2021
Photos via Instagram @espnmma @petr_yan
UFC has attempted to re-book the fight in two different instances, although it has fallen off a card for various reasons. A previous iteration of the bout lined it up to take place on UFC 267 in October. That fight was later scrapped due to Sterling suffering health complications following neck surgery.
Yan still competed on that card, using the opportunity to further solidify himself as the rightful challenger for Sterling’s belt. He went five rounds against Cory Sandhagen at that event, defeating him via decision to become the interim UFC bantamweight champion.
A win for Yan would begin his second title reign as bantamweight champ. His first run started in 2020 after he defeated former featherweight champion José Aldo.
Now that they are booked to meet again, who do you see as the winner?
On December 26th, Sterling made a post that was a parody conversation between him and “Russians.” This mock conversation saw him imply the Russian he was talking to was cheating, with the Russian replying “I know but c’mon, dude. You know what’s up already.”
After the post received backlash, Sterling made a post to clarify that his sights aren’t actually set on Russians. Instead, it’s still on Yan only.
For the record, I do not think every Russian fighter or athlete cheats. Just like every American, Brazilian, Chinese, or any other nationality of athletes, you have the clean and dirty ones.
Personally I think Cheotr Yan is a dirty cheat. Maybe I’m wrong but I highly doubt it. https://t.co/NFWdQC4RGi
“For the record, I do not think every Russian fighter or athlete cheats. Just like every American, Brazilian, Chinese, or any other nationality of athletes, you have the clean and dirty ones,” said Sterling via Twitter. He then used a play on words to imply Yan cheats, saying “Personally I think Cheotr Yan is a dirty cheat. Maybe I’m wrong but I highly doubt it.”
Sterling Destined To Cross Paths With Yan Again
Petr Yan, Aljamain Sterling Face-Off, Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Sterling became the UFC Bantamweight Champion last year after defeating Yan. The fight ended in a controversial fashion, as Yan disqualified himself with a knee to Sterling’s head while he was deemed a grounded opponent.
Yan has since returned and defeated Cory Sandhagen to become the interim UFC Bantamweight Champion. His interim title status lines him up to face Sterling in a title unification belt sometime down the line. For now, though, it isn’t known when that fight will actually happen if it is in fact what’s next for the top of the bantamweight division.
Do you think Aljamain Sterling genuinely believes Petr Yan is a cheater? Or do you think he is just trying to get in the head of the interim champ and his fans?
Aljamain Sterling’s perception of Petr Yan as a cheater doesn’t stop at illegal knees.
Aljamain Sterling’s bantamweight championship win at UFC 259 will be tough to top on the “most controversial title wins in UFC history” list for a long time yet. With Sterling being the benefactor of Yan’s miscue, he has been the subject of most of the attention and scrutiny for the way he won the title. However, the fact remains that it was Yan who broke the rules by landing an illegal knee to a downed opponent.
Petr Yan, Aljamain Sterling. Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
“Yea fuck that Alga guy. He sucks. Aljo, on the other hand- yea, he can’t wait to fuck you up. Dirty rat,” Sterling posted with a syringe emoji.
When one fan indicated that Sterling’s physique is more suspicious than Yan’s and that the champion is oversized for his weight class, Sterling issued this response:
All natural work. I get fat. I have normal veins. And I get in peak shape and lose it after a few days of eating bad.
“All natural work. I get fat. I have normal veins. And I get in peak shape and lose it after a few days of eating bad. Glass these some milk and cookies.”
Dr. Funkmaster would then turn his attention over to USADA and their uselessness on stamping out PED usage.
You think the USADA team are flying Americans over there to test their athletes? Lol give me a break. Shits a complete joke.
They got a Dr. hiding here in the states, from airing their dirty Olympic doping laundry. No one is outing their athletes without concern for their life https://t.co/6sZAvcCAck
“You think the USADA team are flying Americans over there to test their athletes? Lol give me a break. Shits a complete joke. They got a Dr. hiding here in the states, from airing their dirty Olympic doping laundry. No one is outing their athletes without concern for their life,” Sterling said in response to a supporter of his crusade.
One week vs months and years of cheating aint shit. You keep you gains man. It’s cool tho. I’m use to competing against these athletes. These fighters been cheating for years since the beginning days.
They still are, and it’s something you understand but still get pissed about.
“One week vs months and years of cheating aint shit. You keep you gains man. It’s cool tho. I’m use to competing against these athletes. These fighters been cheating for years since the beginning days. They still are, and it’s something you understand but still get pissed about,” Sterling continued.
Sterling would then respond to additional criticism by invoking T.J. Dillashaw’s name as an example of USADA’s ineffectiveness both in general and as it directly relates to Petr Yan.
Lol call me what you want Bubba. They said the same about TJ Dillashaw. NYSAC caught him that dirty rat. NOT USADA.
Don’t worry. I’m still getting back in there against the rat. Calm your tits. https://t.co/2INgb16L5K
“Lol call me what you want Bubba. They said the same about TJ Dillashaw. NYSAC caught him that dirty rat. NOT USADA. Don’t worry. I’m still getting back in there against the rat. Calm your tits.”
It should be noted that Petr Yan has never failed a drug test in his athletic career. It is unclear what precisely Sterling is basing his accusations on. Then again, perhaps this is merely a tool for promoting their upcoming fight.
That fight is expected to take place in early 2022 now that Sterling has fully recovered from lingering issues following his neck surgery from earlier this year. UFC President Dana White has confirmed that this unification bout is the fight to make after Yan defeated Cory Sandhagen at UFC 267 to become the interim bantamweight champion.
What do you make of Aljamain Sterling’s PED accusations lobbed at Petr Yan?
Petr Yan is ready for his highly anticipated rematch with UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling, and there is still no love lost between them.
Yan was slated to face Sterling at UFC 267 earlier this year, but Sterling pulled out of the fight on weeks’ notice due to various health issues. Yan went on to fight Cory Sandhagen for the interim title, winning via unanimous decision with an impressive performance on the feet.
Tensions have risen between Sterling and Yan since their first matchup at UFC 259. After taking control of the later portion of the bout, Yan landed an illegal knee, and Sterling was awarded the belt via disqualification.
“Friendly reminder that [Sterling] is my bitch,” Yan said. This time I will destroy this little whiner even more impressive.”
Sterling’s prolonged absence from competition has created a bit of a shaky bantamweight title picture. The division as a whole is arguably the best in MMA today, with title-worthy contenders from top to bottom.
Things are just beginning to heat up ahead of the Yan vs. Sterling rematch, and their animosity doesn’t appear to be fading away anytime soon.
What is your prediction for the Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling rematch?
Cory Sandhagen believes that one singular mistake in his fight against Petr Yan turned the tides and stopped him from becoming an interim UFC bantamweight champion.
When looking back on his title fight from October, Sandhagen feels that being knocked down in the third round is what caused him to lose the fight. The ranked bantamweight says he was doing well before that moment and that the knockdown caused him to fight differently for the championship rounds.
“I thought I fought really well. I’m not one to make excuses. I really would’ve liked some more time because Yan is one of the best guys in the world, so I would’ve definitely preferred to have some more time,” said Sandhagen on last week’s episode of The MMA Hour. “But no, man, I thought that the fight went really good for me. I think that [in round] one, I was doing well. Two, I was doing well, even though the judges gave it to him.
“I still think that probably in Colorado, I would’ve taken [round] two. Round three, I was doing good all the way up until that last minute when I got dropped in that one, and then kind of had to fight the rest of the fight on wobbly legs a little bit. So I think I was just one mistake away from taking that fight. And all the credit to Yan for knocking me down and hurting me, and making it so that I couldn’t fight the same for the rest of the fight.” (h/t MMA Fighting)
Sandhagen Gives Yan Credit For Fighting Style
Photo via Instagram @espnmma
Sandhagen acknowledges that part of the equation is Yan’s fighting style. He is aware of Yan’s notorious slow-starting yet strong-finishing approach to five-round fights. However, he stands by his belief that he would have won the fight if not for the knockdown.
“That’s kind of his style, right? We anticipated that. He doesn’t start the fastest. He started a little bit quicker than I think he normally does, with me. But yeah, in [rounds] two and three, he just picked up the pace a little bit, and that’s kind of how he fights. And in four, he kicked my ass in Round four. But like I said, man, I was kind of on stilts from getting dropped. I have a really good chin, so if you drop me, you must’ve hit me really hard, and that’s not going to be something that isn’t going to play a factor into the rest of the fight. So I made that mistake, man, and I paid for it. So that’s how the sport works.”
Do you believe the third-round knockdown in the Sandhagen/Yan bout is what determined the outcome of the fight?
Cody Garbrandt has had his share of drama over the years involving his peers, whether it be in heated interviews, on social media platforms, or even backstage at a UFC event. On this day two years ago, we ran a story covering one of these occurrences, this time involving Petr Yan.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News Archives.
On This Day Two Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 19, 2019, 1:20 PM]
Headline: Petr Yan Speaks On Backstage Altercation With Cody Garbrandt
To open up the main card of UFC 245 this past Saturday night (Dec. 14), Yan clashed with Team Alpha Male head honcho Urijah Faber. Garbrandt was in attendance to support his teammate and mentor Faber. It was a rough night for “The California Kid” as Yan knocked him out with a head kick in the third round.
Yan Explains Confrontation With Garbrandt
Footage surfaced of Yan and Garbrandt exchanging words backstage at UFC 245. The two bantamweights had to be separated. Speaking to MMAFighting.com, Yan said that the issues stem from a social media interaction.
“Nothing really happened,” he said of the backstage incident. “Cody wrote, ‘Get this MFer,’ on Dana White’s Instagram page, I jokingly replied, ‘You are next, No Chin,’ and he tried to act tough and crossed the line by commenting that he will see me tomorrow and smack me like a little ho. You all saw what happened when he saw me face to face: he was hiding his hands behind his back, acting all emotional and didn’t back up his words proving that he is all talk. He is a puppy – he barks, but doesn’t bite.”
Garbrandt hasn’t been seen in action since March. He’s on a three-fight skid and has been stopped in all of those losses. As for Yan, he may see himself getting a title opportunity or a number one contender bout soon. He’s riding a nine-fight winning streak.
Sean O’Malley is already sure he will have a shot at the bantamweight title.
Sean O’Malley might be the most popular man in the UFC bantamweight division. His personality and style have earned him a large fanbase. Although he is not yet ranked in the stacked division, he knows that he will fight for the title one day. If he has his way, that title fight will be against Petr Yan, the current interim champ.
“I’m gonna fight for the title, 100%,” O’Malley told BT Sports. “I’m gonna beat the guys I need to beat to fight for the title, and it’s gonna be me vs. Petr. I truly believe that will be the biggest fight in bantamweight history.”
O’Malley has been on a roll since coming to the UFC. His debut of the Dana White’s Contender Series immediately turned heads. He was awarded a contract and jumped into the difficult bantamweight division with both feet. He stacked up four wins in a row before suffering his first loss. Now with a two-fight win streak under him, O’Malley is looking to take on Raulian Paiva at UFC 269.
O’Malley may not be fighting ranked opponents yet, but he is certainly ready to call them out. He has been calling for a rematch with the one man to hand him a loss, Marlon Vera. He has also recently beefed with former champion Cody Garbrandt. Although Garbrandt is now at flyweight, O’Malley is still looking for that fight and the two were involved in a near altercation at the UFC 269 media day.
UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley has confirmed he was “100% serious” when he expressed his willingness to face Petr Yan at UFC 267 in October.
The Abu Dhabi-held card’s co-main event was originally set to see 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling run it back with Yan for his first title defense. However, after suffering from lingering issues in his neck as a result of the surgery he underwent earlier in the year, “Funk Master” was forced to withdraw a month out from the event.
After first-choice replacement Rob Font turned down the opportunity to fight for the interim title having only just recovered from a bout of COVID-19, the promotion turned to Cory Sandhagen. Despite coming off a loss against TJ Dillashaw, most accepted “The Sandman” as the right man to join Yan on Yas Island.
In a five-round war, Sandhagen fell short of having gold wrapped around his waist for the first time. Putting his boxing skills on display once again, Yan looked as good as ever and left the Octagon with the interim belt.
O’Malley: “I Looked At That Fight As A Win-Win”
Before Sandhagen’s place on the UFC 267 card was confirmed, one unlikely name staked his claim for interim championship shot. O’Malley, who’s yet to face a ranked fighter in the promotion, made his willingness to challenge “No Mercy” in Abu Dhabi known.
“Oh 100% (serious). I would hate to take a short-notice fight, you know, I prefer not to, but I looked at that fight as a win-win. I’m always in somewhat decent shape, you know, you’re not always in fight shape but it was four or five weeks out, so I had time to get into pretty good shape. I was gonna go out there and give it my all for as long as I could. Losing to Petr Yan wouldn’t be that big of a loss. I think it’d make for even a better rematch after I would earn that back.
“But yeah, I was 100% serious. I know Cory was the front man, who I believe deserved the shot over me, but I didn’t know if, in that moment, he was healthy and able to. I know Rob Font had Covid. TJ (Dillashaw) was out. I would’ve 100% taken that fight if they’d offered me it.”
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With the UFC not needing his services on October 30, O’Malley turned his attention to a different opponent, one more suited to his current positioning on the bantamweight ladder. In the UFC 269 main card opener this Saturday, “Sugar” will face Raulian Paiva.
While the Brazilian is undoubtedly tough, as he showed in his last outing against Kyler Phillips, most expect O’Malley to record another victory and continue his path towards the top. Perhaps with a strong 2022, the rising star won’t be far from a clash with Yan.
How do you think Sean O’Malley would have fared against Petr Yan at UFC 267?
UFC bantamweight contender Rob Font doesn’t see any path to victory for Aljamain Sterling in his unification bout with arch-rival Petr Yan.
Yan and Sterling met in the octagon earlier this year at UFC 259. At the time, the Russian was undefeated in the UFC and occupied the 135-pound throne. “Funkmaster,” meanwhile, entered his first championship opportunity off the back of a five-fight winning streak that included victories over Cody Stamann, Jimmie Rivera, Pedro Munhoz, and Cory Sandhagen.
After three rounds, Yan was firmly in the driving seat and looked on his way to a comfortable first defense. However, disaster struck for “No Mercy” in the fourth frame when he delivered an illegal knee to a downed Sterling. With the 32-year-old unable to continue, Yan was disqualified and the belt left the Apex in the possession of Sterling.
We have ourselves a new UFC bantamweight champion
What did you think of that strange, history-making ending? #UFC259
Since their controversial March clash, Sterling has been on the sidelines having undergone neck surgery. After being unable to put the strap on the line in a rematch with Yan at UFC 267 in October, the former champ met Cory Sandhagen in Abu Dhabi for interim gold.
Having left Fight Island with a belt around his waist again, courtesy of a five-round win against “The Sandman,” Yan has set up a blockbuster second fight with Sterling. And according to one top contender, who sees the Russian as the true bantamweight champion, he shouldn’t have much trouble unifying the titles.
During an interview with MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, the #4-ranked Rob Font discussed Yan’s incredible standup skills inside the Octagon, describing the interim titleholder as “on fire” right now.
“Petr Yan is real calculated. He’s real efficient with his movement and his energy, and he kinda has, almost like a boxer’s approach where he kinda like, I don’t wanna say takes a round off, but he kinda feels you out for the first round, and then out of nowhere just turns it up as far as the cardio and the pressure and the power that he throws. It’s almost like he’s touching, touching, touching, and then out of nowhere big shots come in.
“He’s accurate and he’s confident right now. He’s beating everybody, he basically was winning that last fight versus Aljamain and just beat Cory Sandhagen, so he’s confident. That guy’s on fire. There’s nothing but killers in this division, man.”
Turning his attention to Yan vs. Sterling 2, which is expected to go down in the first quarter of 2022, Font suggested “Funkmaster” has little chance of emerging victorious. The 34-year-old believes Sterling has no rhythm on the feet, and unless he’s improved his wrestling exponentially, will have nothing to trouble Yan.
“You know what it is, man? It’s kind of messed up like, he just doesn’t have any rhythm. Aljamain doesn’t have any rhythm. It’s the weirdest thing ever. He doesn’t know how to string together combinations. It’s either touch, touch, touch and a big shot, and if he doesn’t get a takedown it’s kinda like, it’s obvious what he’s tryna do. He’s not putting together crazy power shots, so it’s tough man. You got a guy like Yan and you’re not really hitting him with something he has to respect. Why would he (Yan) stop coming forward?
“Then you saw the wrestling, and if he’s (Sterling) not a total different fighter when it comes to that wrestling pace and getting those takedowns, I don’t see him just dominating the takedown either, so it’s kinda like, you know, anything can happen. I don’t think he’s got a puncher’s chance. I don’t see it happening. I think Yan wins a decision.”
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Given his place on the bantamweight ladder, Font will certainly be keeping a close eye on the division’s next title fight, especially if he extends his winning streak to five with a victory over José Aldo this weekend. The pair are set to meet in the main event of UFC Vegas 44 on Saturday.
Despite admitting he’ll likely have to win two more fights to secure a title shot, Font will be looking to set up a meeting with the champ for the second half of 2022.
Do you agree with Rob Font? Will Petr Yan exact his revenge on Aljamain Sterling in their rematch?
With a victory over Rob Font at UFC Vegas 44 this weekend, José Aldo will be targeting a title eliminator against TJ Dillashaw in 2022.
After falling short of the vacant bantamweight gold against Petr Yan last July, not many would have expected Aldo to mount another title run. At the time, the Brazilian was 3-5 since his first UFC defeat versus Conor McGregor, with setbacks against Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, and a controversial decision loss to Marlon Moraes in his 135-pound debut.
But since a brutal TKO at UFC 251, Aldo has won back-to-back contests and established himself back into title contention. A unanimous decision triumph over Marlon Vera last December put him in the bantamweight win column for the first time, before a similar result against perennial contender Pedro Munhoz in August this year cemented his place in the top five.
Aldo Aims To Use Font & Dillashaw To Get Back To The Title
Despite certainly having his hands full with Font, who’s regarded as one of the top strikers in the division and has won his last four Octagon outings, Aldo still has one eye on the future. And should he emerge victorious inside the Apex, the veteran has his sights set on one top contender.
During an appearance on MMA Fighting’s Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca, the former UFC Featherweight Champion acknowledged that a clash with TJ Dillashaw could happen in 2022 if he can extend his winning streak to three on December 4. In a perfect world, Aldo says it would go down on the same card as the unification bout between Aljamain Sterling and interim titleholder Petr Yan.
“It might happen. The fact Sterling is injured and we don’t know when he’s coming back, that (Dillashaw fight) could indeed happen in the future. Dillashaw and I, I don’t know if right now or in the near future, we want this fight. It’s a great fight for both of us, the UFC and the fans, so we’d all agree. I don’t know if it could be on the same card (as Sterling vs. Yan 2). If it is, I’ll be ready. My history is rich, so is his, and we need to make this fight.” (h/t MMA Mania)
Nevertheless, Aldo knows he can’t take Font lightly. This weekend will mark the 34-year-old’s second UFC main event of the year. In the UFC Vegas 27 headliner, Font outpointed former champ Cody Garbrandt across five rounds.
Prior to that, the Massachusetts native recorded victories over Sergio Pettis, Ricky Simon, and “Magic” Moraes. He’ll be looking to spoil Aldo’s plans and book a title eliminator for himself on Saturday.
Would you like to see the winner of José Aldo vs. Rob Font face TJ Dillashaw next year?
UFC bantamweight contender Rob Font has admitted that he sees interim titleholder Petr Yan as the division’s champion over Aljamain Sterling.
Up until the fourth round of his first title defense, Yan looked set for a long reign of dominance atop the 135-pound mountain. Having earned a shot at gold with a 6-0 UFC record that included wins against Jimmie Rivera and Urijah Faber, “No Mercy” faced legendary former featherweight champion José Aldo for the vacant strap last July. With a brutal fifth-round TKO, the Russian left Abu Dhabi with the title.
At UFC 259 in March this year, Yan faced the first challenge to his throne in the form of Sterling. After three-and-a-half rounds, the 28-year-old appeared comfortably on his way to a successful retention. But after landing an illegal knee, Yan was disqualified and saw the bantamweight belt leave the Apex in the possession of “Funkmaster.”
After his chance for redemption was called off after Sterling withdrew from UFC 267, Yan had to settle for an interim title shot. Against Cory Sandhagen, “No Mercy” looked at his best, and secured a unification fight with a five-round victory on Fight Island.
Despite only getting his hands on interim gold on October 30, many see Yan as the true champion of the bantamweight division, even with that official title remaining at the feet of Sterling. Font, the #4-ranked contender, shares the same sentiment.
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, the 34-year-old said Sterling was having very little success against Yan at UFC 259. Judging by their performances in that fight, and the Russian’s interim crowning since, Font considers Yan to be the champion at 135 pounds.
“It sucks man. You’ve gotta look at Yan and his performance and consider him, obviously, the champion. ‘Cos it wasn’t like, it wasn’t like Sterling was putting together clean combinations and hitting him with anything clean. He was busier but it wasn’t much, it wasn’t gonna do much. It was never gonna stop Yan from coming forward. And then the shots were kind of like, they weren’t set up.
“He was never really in that fight. So it’s tough. And then obviously, he gets hit with the knee, so it sucks man. I guess to answer your question, I guess, technically, I would consider Yan the champion right now.”
Font Looks To Jump Closer To Gold With Win Over Aldo
Rob Font will be looking to move a step closer to challenging either Yan or Sterling when he returns to action this weekend at UFC Vegas 44.
Font will aim to prove “The Eagle” right in Saturday’s headliner as he puts his four-fight winning streak on the line. After securing victories over Sergio Pettis, Ricky Simon, and Marlon Moraes, Font cemented his top-five position with a decision triumph over former champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC Vegas 27 in May.
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Despite admitting he’ll likely have to defeat Aldo and one other top name in order to secure a title shot, Font will no doubt be keeping a close eye on Yan vs. Sterling 2, which is expected to take place in February or March 2022.
Do you agree with Rob Font? Do you see interim titleholder Petr Yan as the true bantamweight champion?
