Me: “Hey you’re cheating!”
Russians: “I know, but dude why are you even talking about it? I still won!”
Me: “But you CHEATED!”
Russians:“I know but c’mon, dude. You know what’s up already.”
Me: “ ”— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) December 26, 2021
Aljamain Sterling does not think all Russians are cheaters.
Just Petr Yan.
Sterling walked back comments he made last week about athletes originating from Mother Russia, part of his anti-Yan campaign that dates back to their UFC 259 co-main event when “Funk Master” captured the crown by way of disqualification.
“For the record, I do not think every Russian fighter or athlete cheats,” Sterling wrote on Twitter. “Just like every American, Brazilian, Chinese, or any other nationality of athletes, you have the clean and dirty ones. Personally, I think Cheotr Yan is a dirty cheat. Maybe I’m wrong, but I highly doubt it.”
Yan has never flunked a USADA drug test.
He does, however, seem to take a certain amount of pride in the knee that cost him the 135-pound strap, even going so far as to recreate the foul in later workout sessions. Yan has since rebounded with a victory over Cory Sandhagen while Sterling recovers from surgery.
The sooner the promotion can get these two booked, the better.