At UFC 250, Sterling submitted Cory Sandhagen in 88 seconds, earning a Performance of the Night bonus and putting a stamp on his claim for a bantamweight title shot. After the performance, UFC President Dana White even said as much. However, following Petr Yan’s win over Jose Aldo to claim the vacant 135 title, White would not commit to calling Sterling next in line for a title shot. And while some fighters might get frustrated at the change of tune, Sterling believes that in the end he’ll get the first crack at Yan’s title.
“Honestly, I don’t know what Dana’s waiting for,” Sterling to The Schmo recently. “I don’t know if I pissed in his Cheerios or something, talked to his ex-girlfriend, I have no idea. But, Dana knows the fight to make and I think he’s gonna do the right thing. I think he had to just get over the jet lag from Abu Dhabi. Maybe he forgot how great the performance was and how quick it was, so it’s hard to remember, but I’ve got the camera, I’ve got the film, and he said I was the next guy.”
Sterling does, in fact, have the receipts from Dana, And with Cody Garbrandt now dropping to flyweight for a title shot, and Marlon Moraes rumored to be facing Cory Sandhagen in October, all signs seem to point to Sterling as the next contender. Add in the fact that following his title win, Yan declared that Sterling deserved the next title shot, saying he’d like to return in October, and everything is coming up “Funkmaster” right now.
“Yan’s a pretty smart guy,” Sterling said. “He’s intelligent and I think he’s honorable in terms of the fight game and fighting No. 1 contenders and not looking for these clown fights. I think that’s what builds your legacy, not jumping around and trying to fight the guy who is not even ranked or not on a win streak. I want to fight the best guys, he wants to fight the best guys, and obviously you see the banter we have going back and forth for almost a year now. I’m still coming for that ass, Pete.”
Aside from being the most deserving contender at the moment, a Yan-Sterling fight also has a lot of promotional legs to it. The two bantamweights have been going back and forth on social media with one another for nearly a year now, and while the trash talk has never devolved into something malicious, it’s clear this would be a real grudge match fight, the kind the UFC loves to promote. And for Sterling, that grudge is pretty simple: he thinks Yan is overhyped and he believes he can beat Yan.
“I’ve been wanting to fight this guy for a very long time because I don’t think he’s this great boogie man that everyone says,” Sterling said. “I’m not saying he’s not good. I know he’s talented, and I’m gonna have my hands full, but I think my style, stylistically I shut that man down and I think I can finish that fight as well.”
[h=1]MUST-READ STORIES[/h]Timberlake. Stipe Miocic: Trilogy with Daniel Cormier will determine GOAT but ‘unfortunately for him, it’s going to be me’.
Bare knuckle. Paige VanZant signs with BKFC, declines Bellator offer.
Trash talk. Colby Covington gives update on targeted bout with Tyron Woodley, predicts his rival will ‘leave on a stretcher’.
On top. Dana White: With UFC 252 win, Daniel Cormier’s exit from MMA would be ‘neck and neck’ with Georges St-Pierre.
Noooo. Former title contender Bethe Correia, veteran lightweight Evan Dunham released from UFC.
Honor. MMA, jiu-jitsu legends honored with walk of fame in Rio de Janeiro.
[h=1]VIDEO STEW[/h]The A-Side Live Chat.
Embedded 3.
Top finishes of Daniel Cormier.
Behind the Fight: Chandler-Henderson II.
[h=1]LISTEN UP[/h]Heavy Hands. Breaking down the biggest fights at UFC 252.
UFC Unfiltered. Interviews with Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier.
[h=1]SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE[/h]...
It was brought to my attention that I came off as NEGATIVE in my interviews. Anyone that knows me, knows I'm not the best when it comes to speaking. This was/is nothing but business on all ends (ufc/bellator/myself) never personal. #thefightbusiness pic.twitter.com/HBjCdJBWJO
— Corey 'Overtime' Anderson (@CoreyA_MMA) August 12, 2020
Paige will have no shortage of possible opponents.— Corey 'Overtime' Anderson (@CoreyA_MMA) August 12, 2020
Sign me UP!! Put Paige in with me I’m up for that challenge. https://t.co/zN8EkFOTDl
— AVA KNiGHT (@A_V_A_Knight) August 12, 2020
Just the best dude.— AVA KNiGHT (@A_V_A_Knight) August 12, 2020
Credit should be going to @SabahHomasi The good fight is just Helping raise funds and get the message across https://t.co/UxhQD9SLsf
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) August 12, 2020
Askren on possibly unretiring.— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) August 12, 2020
Will funky come back? Here’s my final answer. pic.twitter.com/3MpkAZy0oR
— Funky (@Benaskren) August 13, 2020
Chase Hooper makes an excellent point.— Funky (@Benaskren) August 13, 2020
I like how DC is commentating his own fight https://t.co/9ozOPywU62
— Chase Hooper (@chase_hooper) August 12, 2020
Creepy.— Chase Hooper (@chase_hooper) August 12, 2020
Just finished lunch. Shit sucked pic.twitter.com/bB7qduMVGB
— Brian Kelleher (@brianboom135) August 12, 2020
Conspiracy theory.— Brian Kelleher (@brianboom135) August 12, 2020
I’m with you @bisping i doNt believe black beast really had to take a deuce #stagedpoop #believeume
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) August 13, 2020
This is a tremendous picture.— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) August 13, 2020
View this post on Instagram
Congrats on the new job Georges @georgesstpierre @jon_anik
A post shared by Mikebisping (@mikebisping) on Aug 12, 2020 at 9:24pm PDT
[h=1]FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS[/h]Kai Kamaka II (7-2) vs. Tony Kelley (5-1); UFC 252, Aug. 15.
Khama Worthy (16-6) vs. Ottman Azaitar (12-0); UFC Fight Night, Sep. 5.
Montana De La Rosa (11-5) vs. Viviane Araujo (8-2); UFC Fight Night, Sep. 5.
[h=1]FINAL THOUGHTS[/h]With Yan looking to compete in October, the most logical landing spot for this fight would be on UFC 254 as the co-main event to the lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje. That just makes all kinds of sense. You get the UFC’s two Russian champions defending their titles in Abu Dhabi. Book it Dana.
Thanks for reading and see y’all tomorrow.
[h=1]EXIT POLL[/h]
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