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With Henry Cejudo’s belt being vacated, Ajamain Sterling wants to fight Petr Yan to determine the new bantamweight champion.
Top UFC bantamweight contender Aljamain Sterling has staked his claim for a shot at Henry Cejudo’s recently vacated UFC bantamweight title.
Cejudo announced his retirement from professional MMA competition, and if he sticks to the decision, he would be vacating his 135-pound title following his stoppage win against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. Although the UFC is giving Cejudo some time to decide, Dana White confirmed after the event that if it pushes through, Petr Yan will fight for the vacated title against a yet to be named opponent.
The number-two ranked bantamweight contender Sterling entered his name in the mix to fight Yan on Twitter.
The fans all wanted to see the fight and now there’s a vacant title on the line!
I’m #2 and Yan is #3. THIS IS THE FIGHT FOR THE FANS!
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Uncle Dana, I think it’s bout time Jamaica got its first UFC Champion!
•https://t.co/zy54GMVlzE pic.twitter.com/jJ7UBbLZNj— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) May 12, 2020
“The fans all wanted to see the fight and now there’s a vacant title on the line! I’m #2 and Yan is #3,” Sterling wrote. “THIS IS THE FIGHT FOR THE FANS! Uncle Dana, I think it’s bout time Jamaica got its first UFC Champion!
Sterling (18-3) is undefeated in his last four fights at 135-pound, recently winning decisions against the likes of Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera. Meanwhile, the Russian Yan (14-1) has won all six of his fights since debuting for the UFC in 2018, most recently knocking out Urijah Faber last December.