LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 04: In this handout image provided by UFC, Aljamain Sterling interacts with media during the UFC 259 press conference at UFC APEX on March 04, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Freddie Freeman’s take on Ronald Acuña is everything that’s wrong with baseball
Aljamain Sterling is not letting the haters affect his thoughts on his championship reign.
As UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling prepares for his upcoming title fight at UFC 273, he can’t seem to escape questions about how he won the title. Sterling was on the wrong end of an illegal knee at UFC 259 and because of that, he became the champion. Since that event, Sterling has taken a lot of criticism about his performance and winning the belt on a DQ. Now as he is nearing the rematch with Petr Yan, Sterling is explaining once again how he feels about that incident and the backlash from it.
“People were saying they didn’t like the way I handled it,” Sterling explained at UFC 273 media day. “Let’s be straight here, I handled it this way because of the people. If it wasn’t for that, and again, the way I let the belt go in the Octagon, I think that shows you exactly how I felt about it. Despite that, I feel like I was the champ when I beat Cory Sandhagen. The media said the same thing. We were the highest-ranked guys. We should have been fighting for the belt, not a guy coming off of a loss and not a guy who just beat a retired Urijah Faber. Both those guys did not belong in a title shot situation.”
In the end, Sterling did earn his title and must now defend it for the first time. As the co-main event of UFC 273, Sterling will have his chance to prove to fans and haters that he belongs holding that strap. He already believes that he is the right man at the top of the division regardless of the accusations.
“We know how the UFC operated at the end of the day, it’s what have you done for me lately and I felt like the champ going into that fight so no one can ever tell me you’re the most unqualified champion,” Sterling said.
UFC 273: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Korean Zombie takes place on Saturday, April 9, 2022, live from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL. Follow along with FanSided MMA for all your news and highlights.
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest UFC News Click Here
