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Aljamain Sterling has something of a tense relationship with the MMA fandom. He recently hit out at the ridicule he has received on X/Twitter over a clip of him getting choked unconscious on the set of a Russian version of the UFC's 'The Ultimate Fighter' under AFL Global.
A fan account on X/Twitter shared the clip in question, which features someone choking Sterling with a standing rear-naked choke and the former UFC bantamweight champion unable to escape. The fan describes Sterling in disparaging terms, prompting 'Funk Master' to fire back.
"Lol wait till you see what I did after you bum *ss," he wrote.
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Sterling is widely known for his relentless pursuit of takedowns and slick Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the cage, where he has mastered the art of taking his opponent's back. While he isn't always able to sink in a fight-ending submission, he tends to dominate entire rounds once he manages to mount a foe's back.
After a spotty run as the UFC bantamweight champion, 'Funk Master' lost the belt to Sean O'Malley, who TKO'd him at UFC 292, in what was a remarkably quick turnaround for Sterling, who had fought just three months prior. After unsuccessfully campaigning for a title rematch, he moved up to featherweight.
Sterling had a successful divisional debut against featherweight mainstay Calvin Kattar at UFC 300, outwrestling 'The Boston Bomber' en route to a unanimous decision win. In hot pursuit of a featherweight title shot, Sterling next faced undefeated Russian wrestler Movsar Evloev at UFC 310.
In what turned out to be a thrilling grappling match, the two men competed over three intense rounds before Evloev was declared the victor via unanimous decision.
Aljamain Sterling crossed paths with his old rival Petr Yan on the show
The Russian MMA reality show wherein he was choked unconscious also featured his one-time nemesis Petr Yan. A clip of the two men engaged in a friendly interaction, trading kicks, has made the rounds online.
Check out Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan trading kicks:
Sterling and Yan had one of the most heated rivalries in recent bantamweight history. They first clashed at UFC 259, which was a largely dominant affair by Yan.
Unfortunately, 'No Mercy' disqualified himself when he kneed a grounded Sterling, awarding the latter the bantamweight title. They faced each other in a rematch at UFC 273, which Sterling won via controversial split decision.
