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In a long and descriptive Instagram post two days ago, Aljamain Sterling explained how he had to pull out of a huge fight he was offered against Frankie “The Answer” Edgar due to a surgery he had to undergo for a lingering wrist injury.
The fight was about to take place on November 2 at Madison Square Garden at UFC 244, but New York State Athletic Commission did not approve Sterling to push through the injury and make it worse than it already was.
But Sterling’s misfortune turned out to be a boon for his fellow Bantamweight fighter, who took to twitter to declare himself the top contender in his absence.
MMA Junkie reported on the matter.
Petr Yan challenges anyone who disagrees with his claim
Grabbing at the opportunity of Aljamain Sterling being sidelined, Petr Yan swooped in to establish himself as the number one contender in the Bantamweight division. In the same tweet, “No Mercy” also issued a challenge to any fighter who has a problem with his claim, to face him at UFC 245. However, he had also wished the “Funk Master a speedy recovery from his surgery.
But when it comes to the fight for the Bantamweight Championship, it seems like Petr Yan would have to wait a bit longer since the title holder, Henry Cejudo, would be busy defending his Flyweight title first in a bout against Joseph Benavidez after his return in early 2020, according to UFC president Dana White.
However, that would certainly give Aljamain Sterling more time to recover from his Scapholunate ligament tear in the wrist and prepare himself to challenge the Champion.
With Aljamain Sterling, Petr Yan, Urijah Faber and Frankie Edgar, all gunning for the Bantamweight belt, Cejudo seems to have his work cut out for him.
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