Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan shook hands in Abu Dhabi ahead of their respective fights at UFC 280.
UFC bantamweights Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan crossed paths with one another, sharing a small, respectful conversation before shaking hands.
Sterling, who will make his second defence of his 135lb title against T.J. Dillashaw in just under two weeks’ time, posted the interaction to his Twitter – teasing a third fight between Yan and himself.
Trilogy
pic.twitter.com/qvY2a2BMnM
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) October 10, 2022
This is a far cry from some of their previous interactions during their 18-month rivalry, beginning all the way back at UFC 259 when Sterling would make a bid for Yan’s newly earned UFC title.
During a fairly one-sided affair in which Yan would drop, hurt and take down Sterling on multiple occasions, Yan would make a fateful mistake by landing an illegal knee on Sterling. The prohibited knee left Sterling unable to continue, leading to a disqualification loss for Yan and a new champion in Sterling.
Aljamain Sterling defeated Petr Yan earlier this year
The pair did battle for a second time just over a year on from the first at UFC 273, this time though Sterling would surprise many, implementing his superior grappling skills to earn himself a decision win for his efforts.
The pair have two very different but challenging opponents ahead of them in their respective bouts at UFC 280.
Sterling will take on the former bantamweight champion Dillashaw, who earned himself the shot following a gruelling 25-minute battle with Cory Sandhagen in which he would earn a split decision win.
The relentless Dillashaw will bring with him championship experience, top-level striking and a wrestling game to back it up, while Sterling will need to be at the top of his game if he wants to keep his title.
As for Yan, he will take on flashy striker Sean O’Malley in what will be a huge step up in class for the latter.
Yan is a big favorite heading into the bout and for good reason, the 29-year-old Russian has produced some unbelievable performances inside the Octagon, defeating the likes of Cory Sandhagen, Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber.
Who have you got in a potential third fight, Aljamian Sterling or Petr Yan?