"They have buried the Hatchet", "Yan 30-27 for me" - Fans react to Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan's playful sparring session

Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan, two prominent figures in the UFC's bantamweight division, have had a storied rivalry. Their initial encounter in 2021 ended controversially with Yan getting disqualified for delivering an illegal knee to a grounded Sterling, awarding him the championship title.

This incident intensified tensions between the fighters, leading to a heated rematch in 2022, where Sterling secured a split-decision victory.

In a surprising turn of events, the two former rivals have teamed up as opposing coaches on Hype Reality, a Russian reality TV show inspired by The Ultimate Fighter. The show pits aspiring fighters against each other under the guidance of elite MMA stars.

Meanwhile, Home of Fight shared the video of Yan and Sterling sparring on X, with the caption:

"Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling just had their triology."

Check out the video below:

Reacting to the video, fans wrote:

"They have buried the Hatchet."

"Yan 30-27 for me"

Another fan wrote showing optimism:

"glad to see them be friends"

Another wrote:

"Great to see these guys hanging out"

Others wrote:

"Yan colds him with that wheel kick"

"Why is Sterling standing up?"

Check out more reactions below:

Fan reactions to Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling's playful sparring video. [Screenshots courtesy: @Home_of_Fight and @acdmma_ on X]

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Aljamain Sterling targets April comeback

Aljamain Sterling with a championship reign that included victories over some of the division’s best. However, his move up to featherweight didn’t go as planned, as he suffered a tough loss in his divisional debut. Despite the setback, Sterling remains determined to prove himself at 145 pounds and chase another championship to solidify his legacy.

Now, the former bantamweight champion has his eyes set on his next challenge. Sterling recently expressed interest in facing top featherweight contenders Arnold Allen or Brian Ortega (via MMA Junkie):

"I would love to run it back with him [referrring to Movsar Evloev]. If not, maybe fight Arnold Allen—what's up, brother, how you doing? Maybe fight Arnold Allen or Brian Ortega. I want to fight up; I don’t really want to fight down. But if I have to prove my worth again, then it is what it is. I'm still chasing that goal. If I can get a second gold belt, man, that's another legacy thing that people can't take away from me. So, I'm chasing history at this point."

Check out Aljamain Sterling's comments on the video below: