This weekend, one of the strangest periods in UFC bantamweight history will come to an end. Petr Yan, interim bantamweight champ, will take on the man who took his undisputed belt, Aljamain Sterling. Yan lost the belt to Sterling when he threw an illegal knee at Sterling’s head, costing himself the fight and his championship via disqualification.
Ever since, the pair have traded barbs, with Aljamain Sterling most recently posting a video with a copy of a book titled “MMA Rules for Dummies”.
Petr Yan Fires Back at Sterling’s “MMA Rules For Dummies” Jab
Petr Yan used his appearance on The MMA Hour to fire back. “Just imagine, he’s tired of thinking about me, and I didn’t even think about him at al. He had this long layoff, I had a different opponent. I fought, and now he’s my next target that I’m gonna beat up. After the fight Saturday night, everybody is gonna forget about him. That clown will be forgotten.
I think he [won’t] be able to do it; I think he wouldn’t be able to take me down. The stuff he said, it’s just gonna stay in his head, it’s gonna stay his dream. He’s a clown. Everything he has to do is just talk, and after the fight, if he comes to your show, all that’s gonna be left is for him to talk.”
Yan was replying to a Tweet from Sterling: “Going over some Fight IQ with the team….. ya know so that they never lose their belt.
The best seller, MMA Rule Book For Dummies, by yours truly is available worldwide. Even in Russia and Thailand. #justsaying
Tag a friend or a 🤡 who needs this book!” Petr Yan is resolutely unbothered by Aljamain Sterling’s antics, believing that Sterling knows he’s in for the beating of a lifetime this Saturday night.
“He’s just trying to sell the pay-per-views. He’s trying to earn the last big money of his life. If you advise him to wear a skirt now, he’s gonna wear a skirt now if it will sell pay-per-views.
I want to make sure there won’t be no questions left after this and I will make sure there will be no questions left. We’re gonna see his crying head on your TV again.”
Petr Yan dominated Cory Sandhagen to earn the bantamweight interim title, and will be planning on a similar performance against Aljamain Sterling to reclaim his belt. Sterling, of course, will do all he can to prevent this from occurring, but he was clearly one step behind Yan in their last fight.
What do you make of the Sterling/Yan rivalry? Let us know in the comments.
