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Aljamain Sterling has remained sidelined since winning the UFC bantamweight title in March. However, the 'Funk Master' recently offered fans a potential time frame for his octagon return. Sterling admits the only detail still shrouded in mystery is what venue he'll next compete at.
After an injury forced Aljamain Sterling to pull out of his UFC 267 rematch with Petr Yan, the champion received flak for allegedly ducking 'No Mercy'.
In a recent Twitter post, Sterling revealed the UFC may book him to defend the bantamweight strap in early 2022.
"I was told Feb or March. Just waiting on location," wrote Aljamain Sterling on Twitter in response to a fan's question.
A tall task awaits Aljamain Sterling
After Petr Yan was forced to part ways with his UFC bantamweight strap via DQ, the UFC set up an interim title bout between him and Cory Sandhagen at UFC 267. Yan beat Sandhagen by decision.
Sterling gave his rival high praise for handling business to solidify another title opportunity:
"That defense is very, very tight, very technical. He does a good job of looking through the eyebrows – just touching, slight parries, so every time you throw a jab, he just catches it, catches it nice and clean where almost nothing gets by," said Aljamain Sterling on his YouTube channel after Petr Yan's performance against Cory Sandhagen.
Aljamain Sterling will have to dig deep in order to eke out a win against the surging Russian. Many MMA experts feel Petr Yan remains the uncrowned king at 135 pounds. Given Yan's momentum before being disqualified vs. 'Funk Master', a growing consensus cast doubt on Sterling's championship reign.
Catch Aljamain Sterling breaking down the fight between Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen right here:
