The UFC Bantamweight Champion is confident that all he needs is one early takedown on Petr Yan, and it’ll be over.
The trash talk has been alive and well between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan. The rivalry has been so heated that it’s apparently ‘on sight’ now between their two teams. Whatever the case may be, the two bantamweight champs look to settle the score at UFC 273.
It might be a little cliche but ‘Funkmaster’ believes he is in the best shape of his career, following months and months of surgery/recovery. Given his recent photos, he might just be right on this one.
“I’m not coming in thinking he is underestimating me,” Sterling told Daniel Cormier. “I did a lot of work, I did a lot of freaking training for this. For me to have my neck fixed and not take days off because I need to let the inflammation go down for one to seven days, that is a game changer.
“This is the best shape I’ve been in for a very long time.”
One Takedown Is He All He Needs
Coming into his title rematch in remarkable shape, Sterling thinks it could be an easy night in the office should one thing happen. While he takes nothing away from Yan skill-wise, he believes he only needs one takedown in the first round to get the job done.
“I’m excited for the opportunity, and I think he is a great competitor,” Sterling said. I do think that if I get him down one time the way I did in the first round, that easily – boy, good night. Good night!”
Sterling beat a common opponent in the first round. Actually, in under two minutes -something that no one else has been able to do. At UFC 250, the bantamweight champion took Cory Sandhagen’s back and choked him unconscious. So, if Sterling gets an early takedown like he wants to, Yan should be wary.
