Aljamain Sterling wasn’t happy with how the UFC tried to market Petr Yan.
In March 2021, Sterling earned a UFC bantamweight title shot after winning five consecutive fights. Everything changed for both fighters in the fourth round when Yan landed a blatantly illegal knee, leading to ‘Funk Master’ winning by disqualification and becoming the new champion.
Thirteen months later, Sterling silenced the doubters with a split decision win against ‘No Mercy’ to solidify himself as the 135-pound king. During an appearance on BS w/ Jake Paul, ‘Funk Master’ referenced Yan when asked if he’s ever truly disliked one of his opponents:
“The only guy I didn’t like that much was Petr Yan. At the beginning, it wasn’t because of him. It was because the UFC had him as this f*cking golden goose that was gonna make all these eggs for him. I was like, dude, he’s not as good as you guys think. This is coming from someone who’s in the sport, breaks down and analyzes the fight. I do my podcast, I break down these fights weekly.”
Since his two-fight series against Yan, Sterling has defended his throne two more times against TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo. Despite the many people who have criticized ‘Funk Master,’ he continues to build one of the best resumes in UFC bantamweight history.
Aljamain Sterling details what makes Petr Yan overrated
Petr Yan has undoubtedly struggled since losing the rematch against Aljamain Sterling. Over the last eight months, Yan suffered decision losses against Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili, extending his losing streak to three.
During the same appearance on Jake Paul’s show, Sterling broke down why Yan has been struggling:
“Stylistically, when I’m looking at him and see what he’s doing to the guys he’s fighting, he’s fighting guys that are stationary, standing right in front of him. He takes his time, lets them pick their shots and then he picks his shots and he lands the better shots.”
Sterling continued by saying:
“If you have a guy that’s actually trying to wrestle him, it’s a different fight. You saw the fight with Merab, you saw the fight with myself. Even the Sean [O’Malley] fight, you get a guy with good footwork, it’s not the same fight. Things like that bother me, and it’s not because of him.”
It’s unclear what’s next for Yan. Meanwhile, Sterling knows who his next opponent will be. On August 19, ‘Funk Master’ looks to extend his title run by defeating Sean O’Malley inside the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The highly-anticipated bantamweight world championship matchup will headline UFC 292.
