Former Champ Name-drops Petr Yan As Stiffest Test To Ilia Topuria And ‘Great Fight’ At Featherweight

Aljamain Sterling, who went to war twice with Petr Yan for the 135-pound title before, bills him a good fit as featherweight title challenger.

Former Champ Name-drops Petr Yan As Stiffest Test To Ilia Topuria And ‘Great Fight’ At Featherweight

Aljamain Sterling bills Petr Yan would give current 145lbs guard a 'crazy fight' (Source: X)

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Once out of the title talks on the deep-end of a three-peat stew, Petr Yan is back in the game big time. This past weekend’s UFC on ABC 9 in Abu Dhabi has made it a three-win streak for the Russian bantamweight. In his current run, Yan is proving to be an indomitable force. Former rival and divisional champ Aljamain Sterling is intrigued to see Yan’s championship run again.

Not just a run at 135lbs, but at featherweight! Of course, with the title going up for grabs at the UFC 320 PPV co-headliner, some have pitched Petr Yan to be next in line. Team BK Arkhangel Mikhail’s standout bantamweight has other options, too, if not for a title challenger fitting.

No.4-ranked Cory Sandhagen, who challenges for gold next at UFC 320, has long made the implication that he wants to run back their 2021 interim PPV title fight. So if not an immediate rematch on the docket, ‘Sandman’ can choose Yan to be his defense if he were to win.

Sterling sees the dominant switch-striker not just as champ material here, but also at featherweight. To that end, ‘Funk Master’ has presented that he’d be a good challenge for Ilia Topuria – equally indomitable in his standup.

You know what would be a great fight? Ilia Topuria vs. Petr Yan…That would be a crazy fight…[I am] Really, really…actually intrigued by how that would actually go; [Like] If they were the same size pound for pound type of thing… But even now, let’s say, Yan went up to 45 and Ilia stayed at 45. That’s just a unique fight in terms of the styles. Like, Ilia, yeah, he’s a power puncher, he’s looking to put you out…But Yan is so efficient with everything.

Aljamain Sterling on ‘The Weekly Scraps’ Podcast (@FunkMasterUFC) for his YT Channel

Sterling made his 145-pound debut on the UFC 300, historic April PPV card, and has had a good 1-1 strut to it so far. However, Topuria doesn’t walk his lanes anymore. He relinquished the stakes to his 145-pound gold for a lightweight move; now that he has captured the vacant gold at UFC 317 PPV main event, ‘El Matador’ has less than zero reasons for a shift down.

Topuria cited harrowing cuts before his UFC 308 maiden defense, where camp Club Climent decided on a 155-pound move. The promotion’s current #1 Pound-for-pound, he has (more than once) even wanted to make 170 pounds rather than go down. There, he could make a pound-for-pound war against former champ Islam Makhachev (who fought a P4P war before as well).

However, with a triple-KO title campaign, the question remains if anyone, even Makhachev, can subdue the reign. Aljo promoted ‘No Mercy’ for it, who is 5’7″, much like Topuria. Many had billed a move-up and a Topuria-Yan matchmaking that nearly happened in 2018. But he fought Jin Soo Son instead at UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Oleinik.

It’s not just a skill-to-skill assessment or intrigue that Sterling has going on for the ex-rival. This week, ‘Funk Master’ stretched the funk and camaraderie in the biggest of ways possible.

Aljamain Sterling invites two-time rival Petr Yan to wedding day, right after UFC 320 PPV

Serra-Longo Fight Team featherweight Sterling fought Petr Yan twice. The first time, ‘No Mercy’ was DQed with the UFC 135-pound title on the line due to an illegal knee. The second time out, Aljamain Sterling bagged a split decision on the judges’ cards after UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie.

Aljamain Sterling invited Petr Yan to his wedding
Aljamain Sterling invited Petr Yan to his wedding (Source: X)

Yan often dumbs down the second competitive loss, saying the only ‘true’ setback he has kept at bay was against now-champ Merab Dvalishvili. The animosity about the first unceremonious win and the dissing of gaming it, has died down, with Yan even poking fun at it nowadays.

Now that Sterling has packed his bags and shifted for a 145-pound move, the duo has found each other in much friendlier terms. Matter of fact, ‘Funk Master’ recently said he invited Yan to his wedding, a two-time rival and his only competition rematch.

I said, brother, come to the wedding…[Then] He said, if I’m in the states, I will come.

Aljamain Sterling further said on his ‘The Weekly Scraps’ Podcast (@FunkMasterUFC)

Sterling and partner Rebecca Cruz put a ring to it in 2021, in a hush-hush social media post. Now, they tie the knot on October 5th, after friend Dvalishvili’s next title defense. Additionally, he plans to invite UFC CEO Dana White and CBO/head litigator Hunter Campbell to the wedding.

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