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UFC Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling was startled to watch tonight's main card opener getting ruled a 'No contest' following an illegal knee by Eryk Anders on Darren Stewart.
When a Twitter follower passed a sarcastic suggestion that Darren Stewart, who was on the receiving end of the illegal knee, should also be crowned champion like Sterling was, the 135 pounder replied with a hilarious gif of WWE superstar Brock Lesnar holding two titles. The new 135 lbs division king welcomed "Mr. Stewart" to the club of fighters getting illegally kneed.
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In the UFC 259 bantamweight title clash, Russian MMA athlete Petr Yan hit a grounded Aljamain Sterling with a devastating knee that appeared to have gravely affected the fighter.
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Referee Mark Smith then disqualified Yan from the contest and awarded Sterling the championship. It was later revealed that Petr Yan's corner, in the heat of the moment, may have prompted the former champ to throw the illegal strike that ultimately led to his disqualification.
"It was just like the heat of the moment caught him. I think it was a bit of a mix up too because the referee was explaining to him, 'the fingers are off the ground or something’. So I’m not sure but it was just the heat of the moment that caught him by surprise. It (chances) was one a one hundred to one, you know", Petr Yan's coach said.
Is Aljamain Sterling turning into a heel following the backlash from MMA world?
Aljamain Sterling received a ton of flak from the MMA community who accused the new champion of pretending to be hurt and milking the situation at UFC 259. His take on tonight's illegal knee landed by Anders made fans wonder if 'Funk Master' was taking the heel route to entertain the fans.
However, Aljamain Sterling has refused to take on the character of the villain and stated that he was just expounding on a joke made by a fan. Aljamain is ready to silence his critics and fight in a rematch with Petr Yan and put an exclamation on his rivalry with the Russian.
