JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Aljamain Sterling thinks he’s earned a short break. But when he returns, he knows whom he wants to fight.
Sterling (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) took a split decision from Petr Yan (16-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in their UFC 273 co-main event rematch Saturday at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Sterling got a pair of 48-47 scores; a dissenting judge had it 48-47 for Yan.
The fight was Sterling’s first title defense after he won the bantamweight title in 2021 against Yan by disqualification. In the months since that controversial win, Sterling had to recover from a surgery, and Yan won an interim belt. Sterling’s win at UFC 273 at least didn’t come with a controversial ending – though UFC president Dana White seemed to disagree with the outcome.
