Years after one of the most controversial moments in UFC history, Aljamain Sterling has revealed an amusing detail about his ongoing relationship with Petr Yan.The Russian fighter continues to jokingly demand a cut of Sterling’s success.
During a recent appearance on the Daniel Cormier Show, Sterling opened up about the aftermath of his UFC 259 title victory over Yan in March 2021. The match ended in disqualification after Yan landed an illegal knee to Sterling’s head while he was grounded, making Sterling the first fighter in UFC history to win a championship via disqualification.
“Petr Yan till this day says, uh, I owe him 10% cuz he changed my life,” Sterling revealed with a laugh. “He’s like, I changed your life. You owe me 10%. 10%.”
While Sterling jokes about it now, the situation at the time was anything but funny. The former bantamweight champion described being severely compromised after the illegal strike, explaining he was “dead tired” from a botched weight cut and rehydration process.
“I’m just trying to think like how and what the f*** was this guy thinking to even do something stupid?” Sterling recalled of the moment.
The controversial victory led to intense backlash from fans, with Sterling receiving death threats and racist messages for months afterward. “I had a year and a half of just straight clown emojis on my page,” he said. The criticism extended beyond social media, with even some in Sterling’s own camp questioning what happened that night.
Despite the negativity, Sterling used the situation as motivation, ultimately vindicating himself with a decisive split decision victory over Yan in their rematch at UFC 273. Looking back, Sterling acknowledges that while the illegal knee gave him the belt in the worst possible way, it did fundamentally change the trajectory of his career. The automatic rematch came with better pay and pay-per-view points, providing financial opportunities he might not have otherwise received.
Sterling went on to defend the bantamweight title multiple times before moving up to featherweight, where he recently defeated Brian Ortega and now finds himself ranked fifth in the division.
