Aljamain Sterling reveals neck surgery will delay UFC title rematch with Petr Yan
The rematch between UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan will have to wait a while.
That’s because Sterling on Friday revealed he will have neck surgery next week in Los Angeles, which is expected to keep him out of action until October at the earliest. The procedure, which is scheduled for April 15, is to repair an issue he’s been dealing with for nearly 10 years.
Sterling told ESPN that doctors diagnosed him with a herniated disc and will operate on his C6-C7 vertebrae.
“They told me I will heal in three months and can start doing cardio to get myself ready,” Sterling said. “They wouldn’t want to see me take a fight until they see everything has fused in my neck correctly. Five months would be ideal if I heal up really quick.”
In addition to his neck injury, Sterling said he also has a partially torn bicep and left shoulder, two injuries that don’t require surgery at this time.
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UFC president Dana White has said he’d like to book a rematch between Sterling and Yan, who lost his title to “The Funkmaster” by disqualification last month, as soon as possible. It’s unclear how Sterling’s timeline will affect the UFC’s plans.
In a fight he was winning at UFC 259, Yan was disqualified for intentionally striking Sterling with a knee to the head while he was down on one knee. Sterling faced a wave of criticism from people alleging that he exaggerated the effect of the knee to stop the fight. According to Sterling, the knee was “the final straw on the camel’s back” that forced him into surgery.
Knowing the situation is likely to upset Yan, Sterling sent a message to him and the “dummies” Friday night on Twitter.
“For the dummies saying he’s out for 9 months and the losers who says he’s faking shit. See you in October Peanut Butter Pan,” Sterling tweeted. “Sincerely your champ, suck it and life goes on.”
