UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling keeps receipts, and he can’t wait to make T.J. Dillashaw answer for his words after UFC 273.
Sterling immediately targeted Dillashaw after unifying the title with a split-call win over Petr Yan on Saturday, and at the post-fight press conference, he elaborated on why the matchup is personal.
” “The man’s been nonstop talking to me, talking about mine and… my spirit as a fighter,” Sterling said after the fight. “The spirit of a fighter is someone who’s never going to give up, if you ask me, and I think I showed that this time. I think I showed that even in my worst night, which was my first performance against Yan. That was a shell of myself and he couldn’t get me out of there that night, and he wasn’t going to get me out of there this night, either. I showed what I’m capable of, and where my mental fortitude is at. You’re going to need a lot more than that to break me and make me quit in there.
“So I don’t know if that’s what he’s thinking. I don’t know. If anyone’s mentally weak, it’s that guy. The guy needed steroids and [performance-enhancing drug erythropoietin] to catapult his career, to even win as many fights as he did in the UFC. His entire UFC career is now ruined. So I can’t wait to punch him in the face. That would be somebody I would enjoy punching. He’s got good skill, but the guy’s a cheat, he’s dirty, and I’d like an opportunity to slap him up, and we can figure out who’s No. 1 again.”
Dillashaw underwent surgery this past August to repair knee damage he suffered in a win one month earlier against top contender Cory Sandhagen. This was Dillashaw’s first fight since his failed attempt to win the UFC flyweight title. He had been suspended for two years for violating the EPO performance enhancement program.
Dillashaw chose Yan to defeat Sterling at UFC 273. He doubted that the “Funk Master”, who has a neck injury and will return to the octagon. Sterling was furious when Dillashaw suggested that Yan might be cut before the rematch.
Dillashaw quickly cut his own promo octagon-side after Sterling’s fiery post-fight callout, telling the champ, “thanks for the callout, my little b****. I hope you enjoyed pretending to the champ. As I have always said, daddy is my home. I’m getting that belt.”
Sterling stated that Dillashaw wanted to trade all the time. I believe anyone realises that I am able to strike and stand, but not necessary. It’s kind of a silly game to do that the whole time if I have an expertise and I’m so much better in another area than my opponents. If I have an advantage, then why not exploit it? If I can level change and have you respecting the takedown instead of just trading punches with you, I’m going to do that.
” It’s very interesting. I think he’s a little small for the weight, and I get on his back like that, I think that guy gets out of there. T.J. gets a few shots, but I doubt he is taking as much from Yan in round .”
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Sterling regularly used the threat of the takedown to keep the striking savant Yan off-balance in exchanges, and he controlled the Russian on the canvas for the majority of Rounds 2 and 3 with glue-like back control.
As soon as Yan is fully recovered from his long-running training camp, and after Yan’s rescheduling, Dillashaw will be next on Dillashaw’s list. Like the former undisputed champ, Yan had also accused him of pretending in the octagon when he was unable to continue after taking an illegal knee to the head in their first fight at UFC 259. Having gotten the last word, he had fun with that one, and the next step was to enjoy his spoils.
“Thirteen long months, I think I earned a little bit of a break,” Sterling said. “Starting a training camp, stopping a training camp, I kind of want to pursue my acting career a little bit further. … I think I’m going to take off three or four weeks, just take a vacation with the lady once she finishes her final semester at nursing school. We deserve a bit of a break.”
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