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Tuesday, Mar 09, 2021

Aljamain Sterling Questions “Spirits” of Critics, Following UFC 259 Title Win

Sterling (second from the left) and Yan (far right) (image via UFC / YouTube)

By FCF Staff

After winning the bantamweight title at UFC 259, Aljamain Sterling is firing back at critics, who’ve accused him of embellishing the impact of the fight-ending foul.

Late into the fourth round of the entertaining fight, Yan blasted Sterling with a knee to the head, while he was technically a downed opponent.  A visibly hurt and stunned Sterling was ruled ineligible to continue, and he was awarded the title as a result.

Since then, some fans and fighters have questioned if Sterling exaggerated how hurt he was. But, in a follow-up episode of his podcast, the new champ had this to say about his critics (quotes via MMA Junkie).

“For the fighters that said I milked it, good for you guys,” Sterling said. “Do you guys ever see me quit or look for a way out? Where a guy puts on a half-assed rear-naked choke, and it’s half on, and you look around and go, ‘OK, I can tap now. … I can quit now.’ You guys are the freaking softies. I fought my ass off the entire time, and I was not going to quit in that fight. I was going to take my licking or find a way to persevere or find a way to win like a man because that’s just what I do. I don’t have that quit in me. There’s no quit button whenever I’m in there. You guys might find it easy and talk about the Oscars and everything. You guys are the actors, and it might be a reflection or your own spirits.”

Following the fight, UFC President Dana White said the promotion plans to book an immediate rematch between Sterling (20-3) and Yan (15-2).

posted by FCF Staff @ 10:44 am
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