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Aljamain Sterling has been in a long-term relationship with his fiance and soon-to-be wife Rebecca Cruz.
The duo have been in a relationship since 2011. They celebrated their decade-long anniversary on January 2. Sterling proposed to his girlfriend last year and offered her a ring. However, they are yet to get officially hitched.
Sterling defeated Petr Yan in his last fight inside the UFC octagon. 'Funkmaster' retained his belt with a split decision win in his rematch with 'No Mercy'. Many counted out the 32-year-old heading into the contest this past weekend at UFC 273.
However, Sterling showed off his superior grappling credentials in rounds two and three of the fight. Yan managed to win rounds 4 and 5 convincingly, leaving a close first round to split the judges. Sterling got the nod from two of the judges and won the contest.
Aljamain Sterling likely to face T.J. Dillashaw next
UFC president Dana White said he had Yan winning the fight at UFC 273. However, he dismissed an immediate trilogy fight between 'No Mercy' and 'Funkmaster'. Instead, White suggested that it will be former champion T.J. Dillashaw to face Aljamain Sterling next.
Dillashaw made his UFC return from suspension last year and earned a close decision win against Cory Sandhagen. The former champion has been campaigning for a title shot since.
However, he was sidelined by injury. He is currently fit and looks all set to fight for the championship yet again.
As for Petr Yan, it will be interesting to see who the Russian faces. The former champion remains one of the most formidable forces in the bantamweight division despite his loss. A trilogy fight between him and Sterling is almost certain to happen down the line.
It looks like he will have to take on another contender in his next fight. The bantamweight division is full of up-and-coming fighters. Sterling's teammate and close friend Merab Dvalishvili could be next for Yan. A rematch against Cory Sandhagen is also a possibility given their intriguing encounter at UFC 267.
