UFC 273: Aljamain Sterling Clashes With Petr Yan Backstage Ahead Of Their PPV Bout Tonight.

As one would expect before any cage fight, tensions are running high for all of the fighters participating on the UFC 273 card. However, one fight carries significantly more bad blood than the rest. The heated battle between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan has reached a breaking point. 

Aljamain Sterling Confronts Petr Yan And His Entourage After Weigh-Ins.

Once the ceremonial weigh-ins for their bantamweight championship fight at UFC 273 wrapped, Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling almost wrapped their hands around each other’s throats. In the video embedded above, you can see each man and their respective entourage exchanging words and threats. The incident mirrors the raging antipathy that almost saw the two combatants come to blows during the UCF 273 press conference. 

The incident is no surprise for fans, as the feud between the two bantamweights has been brewing for a year. Sterling infamously captured the bantamweight strap after a disqualification caused by an illegal knee from Yan. Yan and several other fighters and fans called out Sterling for his “acting” performance to sell the disqualification. 

Since the fight, other top UFC contenders have weighed in on the matter to label Sterling an illegitimate champion. Former middleweight champion Robert “the reaper” Whittaker recently claimed, “He didn’t win. Petr lost. Sterling didn’t win. Petr lost. Okay. This is how it happened,” said Whittaker while speaking to Fox Sports. (Transcribed by BloodyElbow)

With the much-anticipated title fight merely hours away, fans -and the bantamweight division- are hopeful that this bitter rivalry will come to a definitive and decisive end.