'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Fresh off a controversial disqualification win over former champion Petr Yan, UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling slammed the UFC canvas for causing the fighters to slip too much at UFC events in recent times. The champ took to Twitter during the ongoing UFC Vegas 21 event to express his opinion on the matter and tweeted that the material used by the UFC is not similar to the one used in gyms, which is causing fighters to lose positions more frequently than usual.
'That canvas is SO SLIPPERY! Look how many guys keep falling/sliding! That material isn’t realistic to what we train on in our gyms. Watch the strikers all slide and wrestlers lose their footing in certain positions. Everyone has complained about it but change yet,' Aljamain Sterling tweeted.
Replying to a fan's tweet showing concerns about the sanitation liquid being sprayed on the canvas in between rounds, Sterling gave an affirmative reply and speculated that the slippery canvas may have fight altering impact on fighters' performances.
'YEOO! Someone was telling me that too! It’s freaking crazy how much of your footwork gets tripped up on this canvas. Nicolau just fell over the same way I did. Ppl might want to talk shit to me, but fighters need to beware of this man. It changes the fight,' Aljamain Sterling tweeted.
The Slippery canvas played part in Aljamain Sterling's fight against Petr Yan
Aljamain Sterling is generally the more active fighter in all his bouts and tends to move a lot. Upon being asked if the canvas affected his performance against former bantamweight champion Petr Yan at UFC 259, Sterling drew attention to the fact that the former champ has a relatively stationary fighting style and still struggled with his movement. Aljamain Sterling added that the slippery surface affected his own game as he had to think a lot before attempting kicks to not lose balance and trip.
Complaints about the canvas are new in the MMA community. Many fighters in the past have drawn attention to the canvas affecting the execution of their moves in the fight. Following his win over Ross Houston at Bellator 248, welterweight fight Michael Page had told the media that he was not able to execute his game plan, courtesy to the octagon floor.
"I don’t know if people will be able to see it in the fight, but I had to change my fighting style. I threw a punch and spun myself around and he threw a kick and literally threw himself off. I could see he was being tentative on his kicks and not throwing them with any kind of maliciousness and it was basically because the canvas was so slippery," Michael Page told.
