Aljamain Sterling warns Petr Yan of a "trip to the hospital" ahead of their rematch 

Aljamain Sterling recently stated on Twitter that both he and Petr Yan will have to take a trip to the hospital after their rematch at UFC 273.

MMA journalist Mark Heath made his predictions ahead of UFC 273. He wrote that Sterling is a very good fighter but will have to take Yan down constantly to have a chance of retaining the title. According to Heath, 'Funk Master' can't afford to stand and trade with an elite striker like the Russian. The champion took note of those comments and responded:

"That’s why we fight folks. I appreciate the respectful honesty, but I’m winning this fight or we’re both taking a trip to the hospital. Jacksonville fans will get a great show of high level MMA! Now excuse me, I have 2 more pounds to lose."

The fighters previously clashed at UFC 259. After a competitive start to the contest, Yan slowly took over as the rounds progressed. However, the Russian landed an illegal knee on Sterling in the fourth round and lost the belt via disqualification.

'No Mercy' has since fought against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 267. He won a back-and-forth contest over five rounds and became the interim bantamweight champion in the process.

Meanwhile, Sterling will be making his first octagon appearance since capturing the 135lbs gold in March 2021.

Watch Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling 1 below:

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Petr Yan is the favorite to win against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 273

Yan is the bookmakers' favorite to regain his title at UFC 273. The Russian is a phenomenal striker with thunderous power and sniper-like accuracy.

Sterling, on the other hand, is a top-notch grappler. Many believe that using his grappling will be the key to 'Funk Master' getting the better of his Russian opponent.

Watch Aljamain Sterling's top finishes below:

That said, Petr Yan managed to score seven takedowns in their first fight.

Sterling has also faced severe backlash from fans who feel he exaggerated the injury that caused his opponent's disqualification in the first fight.

Despite all that, Aljamain Sterling remains one of the finest fighters in the 135lbs division of the UFC. It will be interesting to see how the rematch plays out when the octagon door closes this weekend at UFC 273.