Aljamain Sterling is out of the UFC 267 co-main event.
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is out of his title fight against Petr Yan at UFC 267, MMA Fighting confirmed on Saturday.
Sterling reportedly pulled out of the matchup due to some lingering neck issues stemming from an old injury.
Yan, the former bantamweight champion, reacted to the news on social media.
Told you https://t.co/qUk0QMeXPc
— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) September 26, 2021
https://t.co/ULInPBktIu pic.twitter.com/4Naxwq2R13
— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) September 26, 2021
The two were set to collide in an immediate rematch following the controversial result of their first bantamweight title bout at UFC 259 which saw Sterling win the belt via disqualification. He is, to date, the only UFC fighter to win a title via DQ.
Yan is now without an opponent just one month out from the UFC 267 pay-per-view, which is scheduled to take place on Oct. 30 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event will be headlined by a light heavyweight title bout between reigning champion Jan Blachowciz and former title challenger Glover Teixeira.