This past Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 273, the bantamweight title was on the line. Aljamain Sterling (21-3) was defending his title against the interim champion Petr Yan (16-3). The two men had met in the octagon last year, but the fight ended in controversy. After a strong start, Aljamain Sterling really started to fade and Petr Yan was taking over.
However, Yan made a massive mistake in the fourth round. While Sterling had a knee on the ground, Yan blasted him with a knee that caused the fight to end. Sterling won by DQ and became the UFC bantamweight champion.
This fight had some controversy, just not the same kind. The fight was razor close with Yan winning rounds three and four while Sterling dominated the second and third rounds. Sterling was so dominant that I could easily see him getting one 10-8 round. In fact, that’s how I scored the second round. The fight came down to the first round at UFC 273.
Two judges gave it to Sterling while one gave it to Yan. Ultimately, that decided the fight and Sterling won a split decision.
What’s next after UFC 273?
Prior to UFC 273, most people didn’t consider Aljamain Sterling to be the legitimate champion. However, whether or not you agree with the decision, you can’t deny him any longer.
Now that he’s won his fight against Petr Yan, what’s next? Well, It’s pretty clear what’s going to be next for The Funkmaster. Aljamain Sterling is going to be taking on former UFC champion TJ Dillashaw.
Sterling called out Dillashaw after the fight and Dana White said that would be next at his post-fight press conference. Dillashaw is coming off a win against Cory Sandhagen last year.
The former champion still believes he has a claim to the bantamweight title. Dillashaw never lost his title, but he had to relinquesh the title after he tested positive for EPO during his attempt to drop to flyweight.
Having never lost his UFC title inside the octagon, Dillashaw still believes the title is his. Well, he’s going to get his chance to get it back when he takes on The Funkmaster.