5 reasons why Aljamain Sterling can beat Petr Yan at UFC 273

#2. Petr Yan may overlook Aljamain Sterling after their first fight

There's a chance Petr Yan may overlook Aljamain Sterling in their upcoming rematch

Petr Yan’s last appearance in the octagon saw him defeat Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision in a wild striking affair, handing him the interim UFC bantamweight title in the process. Yan looked awesome in the bout and, in the eyes of many, should be able to breeze past Aljamain Sterling to claim back the undisputed title.

However, while ‘No Mercy’ has a right to be confident, could he find himself overlooking Sterling after their first fight went largely in his favor?

It’s definitely a possibility. After all, Yan certainly didn’t see the best of Sterling in their bout last March, as he was able to avoid the takedowns of ‘Funk Master’ and never had to fend him off on the ground.

The idea that Yan might come into his rematch with Sterling overconfident is a point clearly not lost on Sandhagen, who suffered a submission loss to the champion in 2020.

‘The Sandman’ recently stated that Yan would be “crazy” to overlook Sterling in their upcoming fight, labeling ‘Funk Master’ as a very dangerous grappler who simply can’t be counted out. He also pointed out that Sterling wasn’t doing as badly in their first fight as many people suggested.

Will Yan come in overconfident? It’s a point worth debating, as ‘No Mercy’ has never come across as cocky before and may well take ‘Funk Master’ very seriously. If he doesn’t, though, he could well find himself in serious trouble.

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#1. Aljamain Sterling has a serious point to prove

Aljamain Sterling has a major point to prove in his upcoming bout with Petr Yan

A big X-factor in the upcoming UFC bantamweight title bout between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan could be the fact that Sterling is likely to come into the fight with a major chip on his shoulder.

It’s arguable that no champion in UFC history has been written off quite so badly and so unfairly as Sterling, largely because he won his title in such controversial circumstances when Yan was disqualified in their first bout.

However, the people labeling Sterling a paper champion are sorely mistaken. ‘Funk Master’ is a truly great fighter with wins over the likes of Cory Sandhagen, Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera, and he’s an entirely credible titleholder.

If anything, everyone writing Sterling off in this rematch may well be a positive thing. ‘Funk Master’ will have a serious point to prove in this bout, just as he did when he produced his best UFC showing to date against Sandhagen in 2020.

The likelihood is that Sterling is training and preparing like never before for this bout. While even that might not be enough, there’s definitely a chance that all of the frustration and bitterness he’s felt since his title win allows him to fight like never before, leading him to a monumental victory.