Former UFC champions Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling nodded to their controversial UFC 259 fight in a viral clip.
Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling found mutual respect after sharing the UFC industry corner for nine rounds of their career. But their first fight contained a controversial finish on UFC 259, because of an illegal knee of Yan who led Sterling to be accused of persuading the damage he has suffered as a result of the violation.
Yan made his first UFC Bantamweight title defense against Sterling on UFC 259 in 2021. The then Bantamweight title holder earned the belt by beating UFC Hall of Famer José Aldo on UFC 251.
Yan wore the challenger Sterling about the first three rounds of the fight and seemed destined for a late finish or a decisive victory over the jury's scorecards. But in the last seconds of round 4, Yan landed an illegal knee on a grounded sterling, so Sterling was unable to continue fighting and get the belt through disqualification.
It was an abrupt end to Yan's title line and a controversial title win for Sterling. After UFC 259 Sterling Yan's case asked for a rematch and some fans accused him of pretending they were more injured than he was after the illegal attack.
For almost four years since UFC 259, Yan and Sterling set aside their early bad blood to poke pleasure at the abrupt end of their first matchup.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan Por Poke Fun on notorious UFC 259 Fight Finish
In an now-viral clip that Yan placed on his Instagram, Yan has' awarded 'Sterling with an Oscar trophy, a nod to fans' past accusations of Sterling who responded exaggerated to the illegal knee. Sterling seemed to take the joke and the two former Bantamweight title holders shared a smile in the process.
Sterling will fill himself for Merab Dvalishvili in a Russian spin -off of the ultimate hunter opposite Yan. It is perhaps a more interesting coach vs. Coach Matchup na Sterling and Yan's two collisions in the octhoek and history filled by head.
Yan and Sterling are both to plan their UFC returns for later this year. Yan was linked to a rematch with Dvalishvili after his most recent victory over Diveson Figueiredo at UFC Macau.
Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan Square off for UFC Comeback fights
Sterling, now a featherweight, is fresh from a unanimous decision loss for Movsar Evloev on UFC 310. Despite the decision-making of the jury's scorecards, it was a razor-close fight from start to finish, but Sterling suggested in a retirement in one Post-Vecht Podcast.
After Sterling Yan had defeated by disqualification at UFC 259, they were planned for an immediate rematch on UFC 267 before Sterling withdrew due to injury. Yan defeated Short-Notice replacement Cory Sandhagen for the interim belt on the map.
Sterling defeated Yan on UFC 273 by a split decision and continued to one of the best Bantamweight title rules in the history of the promotion. He defended the belt against TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo for a knockout loss for Sean O'Malley on UFC 292.
Years after the bizarre finish of their UFC 259 fight, Yan and Sterling are respectful for their comebacks. Despite the mocking character of Yan's Oscar Award, Sterling seemed to take the puncture, after years of a complicated relationship with the UFC fan base.
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