After Frustrating Layoff, Aljamain Sterling Feels Like a ‘Certified Weapon’ Heading Into UFC 273

Aljamain Sterling has heard all the naysayers over the past year.

Sterling’s championship victory over Petr Yan at UFC 259 in March 2021 has come with an asterisk for many in the MMA community due to the nature of the “The Funk Master’s” victory, which came when he was rendered unable to continue due to an illegal knee in the fourth round. As a result, Sterling was able to take the 135-pound belt home thanks to a disqualification victory. Yan was ahead on two of the three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage.

The rematch between the two bantamweights has been delayed as Sterling recovered from neck surgery, a procedure that helped to alleviate an issue that has plagued him for years. Sterling was sidelined longer than originally anticipated, which of course subjected him to more negative comments.

Sterling will finally get the chance to settle the score when he faces Yan for a second time in a bantamweight championship unification bout in the UFC 273 co-main event on Saturday at Vystar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.

“That’s the most frustrating part of this whole thing, not being able to compete and shut these guys up,” Sterling recently told TMZ Sports. “It’s almost like being that animal locked up in a zoo and you can do all this things, poke at it, throw things at it, but it can’t retaliate because it’s locked up. For me, those chains come free [Saturday] and I finally get a chance to put my hands on this guy. It’s gonna be so rewarding to see the shock in people’s eyes when I’m out there and actually get to put my hands on him and we can see who’s really who.”



While Sterling was healing, Yan captured the interim crown with a five-round verdict over Corey Sandhagen at UFC 267 this past October. Sterling is listed as a considerable underdog heading into the rematch with his Russian rival, but he is more than confident regarding his ability to win in more decisive fashion.

“Any doubt, not at all. Any man that can bleed can be beat down. Not just beat down, broken,” Sterling said. “And that’s what I plan to do to this guy at UFC 273.

“I know the Vegas oddsmakers have me as a big underdog. This is what everyone wants to go out of their way to tell me. I don’t give a s—t. I bet on me. I know that betting on me is right. I’ve bet on me the last six times and I’ve won every single time. So let’s go out there and do it again, prove the last one was a mishap and prove this was the way it should’ve went down the first time.”

While the previous Yan outcome might not feel like a victory, there’s no denying Sterling has emerged as one of the sport’s top bantamweights in recent years with a six-fight winning streak that includes wins over the likes of Sandhagen, Pedro Munhoz, Jimmie River and Cody Stamann.

“I feel like a machine right now. I am a certified weapon right now and ready for battle,” Sterling said. “I can’t wait to go out there and unleash these tools and put a beatdown on this guy that he’s been deserving for well over a year.

“… When they lock that door he’s gonna get Will Smith’d and after that it’s gonna be a lot worse than that.. it’s gonna be a beatdown,” Sterling added. “This guy, he’s tough, he’s good. You can look at the stats from the last fight and those are all to me fake news. He’s gonna feel pressure like he’s never felt before and this time when I take him down, he ain’t getting up.”

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