If there was any thought Aljamain Sterling’s bantamweight title shot might be lost, Cory Sandhagen appears to have done him a favor.
Going into Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 37 headliner, there was some buzz going that if Moraes won, he might be able to slide into a title shot with Petr Yan, especially because he holds a highlight-reel knockout of Sterling on his record.
Sandhagen derailed that potential angle, though, when he stopped Moraes with an incredible spinning wheel kick TKO. Sandhagen’s performance is title-shot worthy as a standalone moment, but even he admits his to Sterling at UFC 250 in June means “The Funkmaster” should be in line in front of him.
It doesn’t appear the champion Yan is trying to give off any appearance otherwise, because he responded to Sterling’s callout after UFC on ESPN+ 37 and made it quite clear he intends on fighting him (via Twitter):
I’m waiting for you dickhead. You will be held accountable for every word you said https://t.co/jxdLYchP26
— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) October 11, 2020
I’m waiting for you dickhead. You will be held accountable for every word you said
The 135-pound title matchup between Yan and Sterling has been building for months. UFC president Dana White had been reluctant to pull the trigger and verify Sterling as the clear No. 1 contender, but now it seems all potential obstacles have been cleared.
Aww don’t worry. I’ll take that belt from you so that you don’t have a target on your back. It’ll be ok. https://t.co/H1q1hvzzHe
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) October 11, 2020
Aww don’t worry. I’ll take that belt from you so that you don’t have a target on your back. It’ll be ok.
The UFC has made no mention of a potential timeline for the title fight. Sterling, however, recently told MMA Junkie Radio that he’d like to compete at UFC 256 on Dec. 12 in Las Vegas.