Aljamain Sterling might be the world champion, but he’s not a happy man.
At UFC 259, the bantamweight was illegally kneed by Petr Yan to become the 135-pound king, but admitted immediately it wasn’t the manner in which he wanted to earn gold. Sterling was down on two of the scorecards, while ahead on one, but most viewers felt Yan was beating Sterling to the punch and beginning to walk away with the result.
Both men expressed their sorrow after the contest, taking to their social media immediately after the fight.
“I apologize and wish speedy recovery to @funkmasterMMA I didn’t mean to throw an illegal strike, I just made a big mistake and paid for it,” wrote Yan.
I apologize and wish speedy recovery to @funkmasterMMA I didn’t mean to throw an illegal strike, I just made a big mistake and paid for it.
— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) March 7, 2021
Meanwhile, Sterling immediately called for a rematch, and an opportunity to win it properly.
“Not the way I ever want to win a fight. It was close, competitive and filled with action. I felt the knee was intentional, especially after the ref announced I was a downed opponent, so I didn’t expect to be hit. Yan is a bad dude! WE WILL DO IT AGAIN!”
Not the way I ever want to win a fight. It was close, competitive and filled with action. I felt the knee was intentional, especially after the ref announced I was a downed opponent, so I didn’t expect to be hit.
Yan is a bad dude! WE WILL DO IT AGAIN!#UFC259— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) March 7, 2021
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