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Aljamain Sterling has jibed at T.J. Dillashaw for picking Petr Yan to beat him in their upcoming rematch at UFC 273. Their first fight witnessed Yan lose his UFC bantamweight title to Sterling via DQ (Disqualification) at UFC 259 in March 2021.
While Sterling was crowned the new UFC bantamweight champion, injury issues related to his neck and back kept him on the sidelines in the ensuing months. Meanwhile, Petr Yan defeated Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision to win the interim UFC bantamweight title at UFC 267 in October 2021.
Sterling and Yan are now set to clash in a title unifier at UFC 273. Speaking to ESPN, T.J. Dillashaw put forth his prediction for the Sterling-Yan rematch. The former UFC bantamweight champion opined that Sterling could’ve performed better at UFC 259, particularly in the grappling realm. Asserting that Yan will beat Sterling at UFC 273, Dillashaw said:
“Yan is a killer, he stays real tight, he stays clean, he’s got the mentality, he’s a fighter. You got those competitors, you got athletes and then you got fighters. Guys like myself and guys like Yan are the full package, you do all of them. I feel like Sterling is more like a competitor or athlete, he doesn’t have that fighting spirit in him. He’s a little bit weak when it comes to that.”
Watch Dillashaw's interview with ESPN MMA here:
In response to a tweet from BJ Penn.com regarding T.J. Dillashaw’s prediction, Aljamain Sterling took to Twitter and jibed at Dillashaw’ recent PED suspension.
Dillashaw was banned from competing in MMA from January 2019 to January 2022 after he tested positive for EPO. Alluding to the same, Sterling posted a tweet that read as follows:
“Has anyone tested his nips yet? They look like they still may be up to no good.”
Sean O’Malley on the UFC 273 rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan
UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley, whom many have touted as a future champion, recently explained that Sterling simply ought to change his gameplan to beat Yan. On Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast, ‘Suga’ weighed in on the rematch and stated:
"You watch Petr's fights, you know he's gonna cruise for a little bit... try to figure out and then start putting the pressure in the later rounds... Aljamain Sterling's got to see that, got to recognize that and come in with a different gameplan. I think Aljamain has skills and... he could beat Petr."
The long-awaited rematch between bitter rivals Sterling and Yan will transpire at UFC 273 on April 9th. The winner of this matchup will emerge as the undisputed UFC bantamweight champion.
