Sterling sparks controversy and criticizes Aspinall's stance after receiving an illegal blow at UFC 321

aljamain sterling He is a former UFC bantamweight champion. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @funkmastermma

Criticized by many for giving up the fight against Petr yan No. UFC 259, aljamain sterling did not hesitate to comment on the action of Tom aspinall when he was poked in the eyes during his first heavyweight title defense (up to 120,2 kg) against Cyryl Gane. Just like 'Funk Master', the champion also told the referee and medical team that he would not be able to fight after receiving an illegal blow.

Keeping an eye on the situation, the former bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg) condemned the Englishman's actions, who immediately alerted the fight authorities that he would not be able to continue fighting, even though he had five minutes to try to recover from the damage he had suffered.

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"Right away, the guy's saying, 'I can't see.' That's the only thing I have to say, Tommy really messed up. You can't say, 'I can't see.' We know those are the end of any fight. You say, 'I can't see,' the referee stops the fight, the doctor comes in to examine you, and they stop the fight. You can't say that. So if you really want your five minutes to try to recover and see if you can stay in the fight, you can't use those words," Sterling said on his YouTube channel. YouTube.

Finally, Aljamain again provoked Aspinall and indicated that the athlete chose to give up instead of trying to move forward.

"The referee came over several times and kind of asked him, giving him several chances to say, 'Hey, I'm giving you time.' 'I can't see.' Just say, 'Okay, give me a timeout and see if things get better.' If guys want to compete, that's what they say," he concluded.

aljamain sterling became champion after Petr yan be disqualified from a title fight. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

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A heavy favorite among bookmakers for the bout against Gane, Aspinall was seen by many as an athlete being dominated by the Frenchman until the moment he received a finger to the eye. Some fans and experts believed the fighter didn't have the courage to return to the fight due to the difficulty he was experiencing against his rival.