UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling only just earned a decision win over former champ Petr Yan, and he’s already eyeing his next target. After outclassing Yan at UFC 273, Sterling told the post-fight press conference that he wants another former champ – TJ Dillashaw, who Sterling described as a “a cheat”.
“The guy’s just been nonstop talking about me, talking about my heart and the spirit of a fighter.
Sterling Calls Out “Dirty” Dillashaw: “I can’t wait to punch him in the face”
The spirit of a fighter is someone who’s never going to give up, if you ask me, and I think I showed that this time. I think I showed that even on my worst night, which was my first performance against Yan.”
Sterling continued, blasting Dillashaw’s previous PED use.
“That was a shell of myself and he couldn’t get me out of there that night, and he wasn’t going to get me out of there this night, either. I showed what I’m capable of, and where my mental fortitude is at. You’re going to need a lot more than that to break me and make me quit in there.
So I don’t know if that’s what he’s thinking. I don’t know.
If anyone’s mentally weak, it’s that guy. The guy needed steroids and [performance-enhancing drug erythropoietin] to catapult his career, to even win as many fights as he did in the UFC.
So his whole UFC tenure is tainted. So I can’t wait to punch him in the face. That would be somebody I would enjoy punching. He’s got good skill, but the guy’s a cheat, he’s dirty, and I’d like an opportunity to slap him up, and we can figure out who’s No. 1 again.”
Sterling pointed out that, stylistically, he could be a nightmare for Dillashaw, a wrestler who historically eats as many shots as he delivers.
“He wants to stand and trade the whole time, and I think anyone realizes, I can stand up and strike, but I don’t need to. It’s kind of a silly game to do that the whole time if I have an expertise and I’m so much better in another area than my opponents. So if I can exploit that, why not?
If I can level change and have you respecting the takedown instead of just trading punches with you, I’m going to do that.
So it’s interesting. I think he’s a little small for the weight, and I get on his back like that, I think that guy gets out of there.
I drop those shots on T.J.’s little head, though, I don’t think he’s taking them the way Yan did in the second round.”
Do you think Aljamain Sterling can take out TJ Dillashaw? Let us know in the comments.
