UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling announced via social media that he will defend his belt against Petr Yan on October 30. In a fiery tweet, Aljo came out in full force and fired shots at the upper echelon of the division. ‘The Funkmaster’ seems ready to shut down all his detractors and he gave a clear date for his return.
Chiefly fans have been waiting for some clarity regarding the title picture in the bantamweight division for a while now. Ever since the debacle that took place at UFC 259 between Yan and Sterling, the MMA community has looked for definitive answers.
October 30th in Abu Dhabi, all the talking ends! Sleepyhagen or Needleshaw, winner gets the next whooping after I put away Yan in 3!
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Only thing that matters in this sport is blue-collared hard-work! No Dana White Privileges ever given to me 💯#AndStill! #Georgia 🇬🇪 pic.twitter.com/BvkEaKfEgs— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) July 24, 2021
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However, there might be a slight discrepancy with Aljamain Sterling’s timeline and MMA journalist Ariel Helwani quickly clarified the date. He revealed that Sterling’s return would be at UFC 267, which would be on October 27, and not October 30 as Sterling initially mentioned. Furthermore, Aljamain Sterling seemed unbothered with the variation in date and was more focused on taking care of business.
Yea, weird but whatever. I’ll just smash this guy and get rid of him for you Ariel. You can count on it! https://t.co/G9ABUFsjMX
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) July 24, 2021
It’s also interesting to note per Helwani that the event will be a numbered event that won’t be PPV exclusive like it usually is. UFC 268 which is set to be a couple of weeks later in Madison Square Garden in NYC will return to a numbered PPV format.
This would mark the first numbered non-PPV since UFC 138 aired on Spike via tape delay from Birmingham, England. 267 won’t be tape delayed, of course. 268 would be a week or two later, hopefully from Madison Square Garden. That would be a PPV.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 24, 2021
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Aljamain Sterling vs Petr Yan: Who comes out on top?
All this is to say that we will finally be getting some clarity on the bantamweight divisional title landscape. Furthermore, Sterling’s initial tweet also confirmed the belief of many fans that Cory Sandhagen vs T.J. Dillashaw is a number one contender’s fight.
This means that other top contenders on win streaks like Rob Font still have a way to go before punching their ticket. Such is the steep level of competition that exists in the 135-pound weight class.
There’s a lot riding on Sterling as he gears up to face Yan as the entire MMA world will be watching. Many have criticized his title reign and questioned its legitimacy in comparison to that of other UFC champions. ‘The Funkmaster’ will want to put all questions to rest once and for all by churning out a dominant display against Petr Yan.
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Who do you think has what it takes to be victorious? Let us know in the comments below.
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