"If you rush it, you will be paralyzed for the rest of your life" - Ali Abdelaziz backs Aljamain Sterling's decision to pull out of UFC 267 on medical grounds

Ali Abdelaziz recently tweeted in support of Aljamain Sterling, who was forced to withdraw from his UFC 267 title defense due to a neck injury.

Abdelaziz wrote that it takes a minimum of nine to 12 months to recover from the neck surgery Sterling has undergone. The MMA manager also claimed that he himself has gone under the knife for neck surgery in the past. If the recovery is rushed, Sterling will be in severe jeopardy of getting paralyzed for life, per Abdelaziz.

"Everyone give @funkmasterMMA sh*t, I don’t know what the hell they’re talking about, I had a neck surgery and minimum you need 9-12 months to heal, and if you rush it, you will be paralyzed for the rest of your life."

Aljamain Sterling has been out of action since fighting Petr Yan at UFC 259 in March. 'Funk Master' won the title following Yan's controversial disqualification after an illegal knee. The American then decided to halt training in order to heal from the neck injuries that he had sustained fro years of fighting.

The champion claimed his condition kept getting progressively worse owing to continued rigorous training. He received immense flak for halting the division when it was announced that the recovery process was expected to take at least nine months.

Subsequently, he signed up to run it back with Petr Yan at UFC 267. The rematch was highly-anticipated. Sterling's health issues, however, became a hindrance. He suggested in a recent Instagram post that he is still recovering from long-term nerve trauma.

"My situation is complicated. It’s the neck that we’re talking about! This is the BEST I’ve ever felt, waking up in the morning and being able to live life pain-free from nerve issues that’s I’ve had for 10+ years now."

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After Aljamain Sterling's withdrawal, will an interim title be created at UFC 267?

With Aljamain Sterling's withdrawal from UFC 267, Petr Yan is left without a dance partner. The UFC has not mentioned who the Russian fighter will face next.

However, No.3-ranked contender Cory Sandhagen will likely replace Aljamain Sterling in what could now be an interim title against Petr Yan, per Ariel Helwani. There has been no official confirmation regarding this matchup by the UFC.