Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling, former UFC bantamweight champions, are set to coach against each other on a Russian reality fighting show, where Yan humorously referenced their controversial UFC 259 fight by presenting Sterling with an Oscar award before mimicking an illegal knee.
Petr Yan’s got jokes lined up for Aljamain Sterling as they prepare to face off in a coaching duel. The former UFC bantamweight champions, who’ve clashed twice before, are now set to coach against each other in a Russian reality fighting show reminiscent of the UFC’s own The Ultimate Fighter. Remember when Sterling snagged the championship from Yan at UFC 259? Yeah, that infamous disqualification knee. Fans and Yan himself have had a field day with it, suggesting Sterling might’ve milked the moment to claim the belt.
Recently, a clip surfaced on Instagram via Gorilla Fighting. It shows Yan handing Sterling an Oscar award before playfully delivering a faux illegal knee. Sterling? He took it like a champ, laughing along. Catch the video below if you haven’t already.
In this reality show twist, Sterling steps in for his longtime pal and current bantamweight champ Merab Dvalishvili to square off against Yan. Now dabbling in featherweight territory, Sterling is fresh off a hard-fought decision loss to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310 back in December.
Meanwhile, Yan’s been on a roll in 2024, racking up decision victories over Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo.