Aljamain Sterling reveals that neck surgery will have impact on longevity of his UFC career

Aljamain Sterling has revealed that the neck surgery that kept him out for several months is beneficial for his long-term career.

During an interaction with a fan on Twitter, Sterling provided an update on his recovery. 'Funk Master' wrote:

"New disc in my neck and all! Gonna be around a lot longer now too because of it!"

Sterling has been on the sidelines since capturing the UFC bantamweight title against Petr Yan at UFC 259. His decision to have surgery immediately after his controversial win drew the ire of some fans.

The New Yorker, of course, became the first UFC champion to win the title via disqualification. Sterling took an illegal knee to the head in round four while he was downed.

The rematch was booked seven months later for the co-main event of UFC 267. Unfortunately, Sterling was forced to withdraw from the fight after failing to secure a medical clearance.

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Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan set for UFC 273

The long-awaited rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan will finally come to a head at UFC 273 in April. The event will reportedly take place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. MMA journalist Ariel Helwani first reported the booking.

Originally, Sterling vs. Yan 2 was set to take place in the co-main event of UFC 272, with Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway 3 atop the marquee. However, both title fights were postponed for a variety of reasons, including Holloway's injury. 'The Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung stepped in for Holloway.

In an episode of his podcast, Sterling claimed there was a problem with the interim bantamweight champion's vaccination status. The undisputed 135-pound champ said:

"Quick update, I know you guys probably seen some of the news but yes, they are talking about pushing our fight back to April. Not because of me. This is what I was told, that Yan isn’t vaccinated. Yan isn’t vaccinated so he can’t fight in March. ‘I’m Yan and I’m not vaccinated so I can’t fight in March.’ I actually respect his gangster [attitude]. If this is the real reason, I actually respect his stance. I respect it but it doesn’t make any sense and I’m making fun of it because it’s like was he going to be vaccinated in April? I don’t think so."