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Petr Yan brands Aljamain Sterling ‘a clown’ and tells fans they will see American’s ‘crying head on TV again’ after UFC 273 title rematch
- Petr Yan is taking on Aljamain Sterling in the co-main event of UFC 273
- Russian was disqualified while well on top against American in their first fight
- Sterling has been called a plastic champion but is out to prove doubters wrong
- Yan branded opponent a ‘clown’ trying to earn ‘biggest payday of his life’
Petr Yan has branded Aljamain Sterling a ‘clown’ chasing his final payday in their UFC 273 co-main event.
The Russian was disqualified for an illegal knee in their first fight, meaning his opponent was given the title by default.
Sterling then became the butt of jokes and criticism, viewed by some fans as an illegitimate title holder. He’s since embraced the role of pantomime villain and looks in tremendous shape ahead of Saturday night.
Aljamain Sterling won the bantamweight title by default after Petr Yan was disqualified
Sterling has made much of his ‘Rulebook for Dummies’ prop he’s planning to give to Yan but the interim title holder has little time for those games.
He told the MMA Hour: ‘Just imagine, he’s tired of thinking about me, and I didn’t even think about him at all.
‘He had this long layoff, I had a different opponent. I fought, and now he’s my next target that I’m gonna beat up.
‘After the fight Saturday night, everybody is gonna forget about him. That clown will be forgotten….
The Russian kneed Sterling in the head when he was down and the referee had no choice
Sterling was unable to continue after the blow was landed in the first fight
‘I think he [won’t] be able to do it; I think he wouldn’t be able to take me down. The stuff he said, it’s just gonna stay in his head, it’s gonna stay his dream.
‘He’s a clown. Everything he has to do is just talk, and after the fight, if he comes to your show, all that’s gonna be left is for him to talk.
The pair first locked horns at UFC 259 and Yan was well on top before he made a catastrophic mistake.
He planted a knee to the head of his downed opponent and there was no alternative but to disqualify him, with Sterling unable to continue.
The American is full of confidence despite the fact Yan was shading the first fight
Yan is a heavy favourite for the rematch and is adamant he can prove his superiority.
He went on: ‘He’s just trying to sell the pay-per-views. He’s trying to earn the last big money of his life. If you advise him to wear a skirt now, he’s gonna wear a skirt now if it will sell pay-per-views.
‘I want to make sure there won’t be no questions left after this and I will make sure there will be no questions left. We’re gonna see his crying head on your TV again.’