A. Sterling (left) is announced the winner after the disqualification of P Yan (right). Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
aljamain sterling became UFC bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg) in March this year. The way the American won the title, however, made him the target of much criticism. Sterling defeated Petr yan for disqualification after the Russian hit him with an illegal knee in the fourth round.
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Still stunned, Sterling didn't even celebrate his achievement in the Octagon. Upon arriving home, he was convinced by family and friends to celebrate the result. During the celebration, photos of the North American with the belt were published. The fan reaction was almost instantaneous, with a barrage of negative comments and criticisms of “Funk Master”. During his appearance on “The MMA Hour”, the champion spoke about the situation.
“People saw the photos and thought I was parading around with the belt, and I wasn't. I only started doing this when they started insulting me because my friends and family asked to take a photo with him and published it. I never published it myself, but I became the villain. At that moment I thought: 'So I'm going to continue explaining myself to people who completely ignore what I say?' So you want to know? I'll take photos with the belt. I'm going to say I'm the champion because guess what? I'm the champion! If you participate in a competition and break the rules, you are penalized. If you break the rules in a fight, you can't win the fight, no matter if it's for the title or not,” Sterling explained.
aljamain sterling He stated that he was tired of apologizing to people who didn't want to hear what he had to say and sent a message to his critics.
“People were hating me for parading with a belt when I had never paraded with it. I got confused. I left the belt in the octagon, showed up home and was being insulted. So I decided to have fun with it instead of continuing to apologize. F*** you, f*** you. That’s how I felt”, said the “Funk Master”.
aljamain sterling will defend the bantamweight title in an immediate rematch against Petr yan No. UFC 267, which takes place on October 30th, in Abu Dhabi. The American joked that he hopes to win over Russian fans for himself.
“Let’s have the rematch and we can shut everyone up. I know the Russian fans really love their guy, who is Aljamain 'The Funkmaster' Sterling. I want to make sure Russian fans have someone to root for, and that someone is Aljamain 'The Funkmaster' Sterling on October 30th. I will make sure that all Russian fans love me”, concluded the champion.
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