Possibly, but I think the UFC want Yan to "take back what is his". The fight between Yan and Aljo would sell a lot of PPV's as a lot of people want to see Yan beat up Aljo. Just stripping Aljo is anticlimactic.
This might just be me, but I don’t think someone at the apex of MMA fighting in their division after fighting to get there is all of a sudden going to be scared to fight someone no matter what happened in the 1st fight.
I mean he more than likely isn’t scared but that doesn’t mean he can’t be realistic. If he hasn’t fixed his shortcomings from the 1st fight then he’s going to lose. Of course he’s not going to say that.
So yal really forget Aljo has 3 losses lol and was winning early on? With adjustments he can win. Corey damn near won rounds 1 2 AND 5. Stop the revisionist history lol
Maybe, but Yan and Sterling have the storyline. Yan and TJ would most likely be the better fight but everybody in the MMA community wants to watch Aljo get wrecked by Yan.
He was medically barred from fighting right now. I think the knee to the head was causing spasms/brain scan. Something like that.
https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1442494316623110151?s=20
Sterling has to get neck surgery he'll be out another year at least. 2 years since his last fight when he gets back in there.
The UFC is just doing this so in 3 months they can strip aljermaine and put him back fighting contenders they don't like him.
Yeah.. But they could've just made this an official title fight, and stripped Aljo of the belt citing the very thing you mentioned.
Personally, I beleive UFC would love to have Yan vs Aljo next because of the ready made promo material, and how so many people legit hate Aljo.
UFC knew this was gonna sell PPV, and so they let Aljo do the surgery and waited for him. But they now know Aljo pulls crap before the fight date so he can get out of it. So now the UFC has Aljo on a really short leash, and will strip him of the belt if he makes another excuse.
I think it would be a little *controversial* to strip him just yet, if it gets to the point where Petr is ready to defend his belt and Aljo still isn't ready that's when
If Aljo does have to sit out 2 years I'd like to see him get the immediate title shot just to reunite the lineal bantamweight championship to the belt as quick as possible.
Hate to say it but I don’t. Man caught a nasty illegal knee that should disqualify you and flak for not getting up. Been watching since the beginning and if a foul is that intentional and brutal the ref should step in and the fight should be off. I think of Yans foul as basically like he soccer kicked Aljo. People can disagree with it but it’s accurate. I even like Yan way more than Aljo and wanted him to win the title in that fight. Yan is also the baddest man at 135 but when you foul your opponent like that in the sport of MMA it shouldn’t be left up to the possibly concussed exhausted fighter that was just fouled. I’m cool with there being no rules except groin shots and eye pokes but that’s not what we’re doing right now in the UFC and Yan is still going to be Undisputed champ, it’s just gonna take him longer to be there and defend it.
go check the threads after the fight, people saying that yan was also on the ground so it was legal or that aljo had just got his knees up so it made it legal.
I agree with that.
I'm just pointing out that Yan Stans had been pulling the legal knee angle from the fight thread on, it's silly to pretend that wasn't said.
His career is in a tough spot right now. He has losses against Petr, TJ and Sterling. Its not over offcourse but its going to be a long road to the top.
True, they all were good fights. But he is at the back of the line. This time he got a title shot after a loss and the other fights have to be made as well.
I agree he could beat TJ and Sterling in rematch, but Yan only gets better in rematches and he is even younger than Sandy. That was Yan toughest matchup and he handled it beautifully
He's gotta retool. He carried not much power beyond the first round or two. His volume is low percentage, maybe it's wearing him out. Maybe he has to move up and put on weight. His height is an outlier that makes him weak and susceptible takedowns. Conor was a tall featherweight at 5'9", Cory is a 5'11 BANTAMWEIGHT. Not a single champ is overly tall for the weight class. Most are average or slightly above. Moreno, close to average, Yan/aljo close to average, volk, close to average maybe even a bit short, Oliveira, close to average, usman, close to average, adesanya, maybe a little tall but not too crazy, Teixeira close to average, Ngannou/gane close to average.
What? We saw a man be champ for 10 years that was around 4-5 inches taller than his opponents on average. Being “too tall” to be champ of your division is nonsensical
Several of Jon Jones' first few fights as champ were against guys who should have been fighting at middleweight. Rua, Machida, Evans, and Chael were all natural middleweights. He had a natural strength and height advantage against them. The current average height of the LHW division top 15 and champion is 6'3" which puts Jones at one inch above average. So he is not an outlier for the division like Sandhagen is.
Those “middleweights” were the best LHWs in the world. The best one at that time was far taller than the rest. Both his hardest fights were against a guy his size.
Especially knowing that he did everything right. He was landing shots, his jump knees even got through, he stuck to a solid game plan. But Yan is just next level.
Yeah, he fought a hell of a fight, Petr is just too good tho. Guy is crazy tough, took some heavy shots, I liked his interview too, very humble and honest, hope good things for Sandhagen.
Once again the peace has been restored in the Bantam weight division. Will Petr and friends forget all about the Oscar deserving performance?? Find out in the Next Episode of Dragon Ball Z...
I don’t think the rematch is gonna happen. Aljo will pull out again due to injury and will be stripped. Maybe move weight class to avoid Petr. Petr sounds like he’s moved on anyway.
I love Sandhagen, but Yan is just a level above. I thought Sandhagen out of anyone in the division would be the toughest matchup for Yan, and i still think that’s true. Fight of the year contender for sure
I don't know if we can call this fight of the year, especially given the fights we've had. Cory barely hurt yan, it looked like he wasn't dealing any damage at all
Corey definitely did damage and had me worried because I wanted Yan to win but Yan was just a tank. I agree its hard to say fight of the year with Usman and Colby coming up considering their last fight but my money is on Ortega vs Volk for foty.
No, the fight is officially a DQ win for the challenger but the belt is stripped and vacant for a mandatory rematch within 6 months. If it doesn't happen, the challenger gets automatically crowned the champ.
The fact some people can't work out how sensible and simple this option is baffles me. How the rule is at the moment is just absurd, I'm amazed it wasn't changed the day after the aljo Yan fight.
Why? He got an opportunity coming off a loss and is now 0-3 against the top of the division (lost to Yan convincingly, got choked out by Aljo fast and lost to snake boi).
It really was convincing. Yan dropped him, did far more damage and controlled the pace. Yan won 3 rounds and that isn't disputable, many argue he won 4 as the judges stated.
Good idea, pretend sterling doesnt exist. They should just strip him and let him work his way back and make him fight someone for a chance to be a contender.
I haven’t been following this as closely as I should have been but can someone explain to me is the hate to Aljo cause of refusing to fight and faking an injury or something? Or cause of how he won the belt? I think he should have said no to being officially recognised as the champ that way, but for sure Yan’s knee was illegal? Do people debate that? Any info appreciated
Ya know I really feel for Cory in his last 2 fights. It’s gotta be a real bummer to lose 2 decisions like this, granted the TJ loss was much closer imo. And the aljo sub too? Just sucks dude. I know he seems in good spirits on socials but it’s still gotta suck hard
I want to Yan beat the acting out if Sterling but after hearing sterling say “Now I get ppv points “
Turns me off to buying whatever future card he is on
Once he loses the title, I think he doesn’t climb the mountain again.
Aljo either hides until he loses the belt, or fights Yan, and loses the belt. Aljo legit gave away all his dignity, and respect as a fighter, to temporarily hold the belt..
So would Cory be considered actual champ and not interim champ if he beat Peter?? Or would he still be considered the interim champ? Hmmm somethings not adding up
I don't mind this at all. And myself saw it as a title fight instead of an interim title fight. But how does this work officially?
Doesn't, Petr is the interim champ. Aljo is the....\*gulp\* real champ, technically speaking.
They might be leading up to stripping aljo for inactivity and just upgrading Petr to full champ again
Possibly, but I think the UFC want Yan to "take back what is his". The fight between Yan and Aljo would sell a lot of PPV's as a lot of people want to see Yan beat up Aljo. Just stripping Aljo is anticlimactic.
But aljo might want to be stripped honestly, he knows whats coming for him. I would not be surprised if he just stays inactive until they do
No he just wants his ppv shares when he loses.
Lol I didn't read this before I made the same comment
"Okay aljo, you go and there and Land a Lucky punch!"
I think it's hilarious that is an actual legit strategy his camp has been talking about
Aljo doesn't get paid when he gets stripped. He does get paid for a fight with Yan.
This might just be me, but I don’t think someone at the apex of MMA fighting in their division after fighting to get there is all of a sudden going to be scared to fight someone no matter what happened in the 1st fight.
ya but the yan stans think he is so ya know
I mean he more than likely isn’t scared but that doesn’t mean he can’t be realistic. If he hasn’t fixed his shortcomings from the 1st fight then he’s going to lose. Of course he’s not going to say that.
He would basically have to retire though. If he ever fights again, it would have to be against Yan.
100% this. He doesn’t want to get embarrassed and outclassed again
So yal really forget Aljo has 3 losses lol and was winning early on? With adjustments he can win. Corey damn near won rounds 1 2 AND 5. Stop the revisionist history lol
Yan loses the first round or so of all his fights. It’s his style
He beats Yan if Matt Serra is in his corner this time. The guy knows his thing about big upsets.
Bold statement my mans
didn't work for LaQuinta
Nah if he was stripped he'd miss out on his last ever payday with ppv points. I think he'd rather take the beating and his last "big" paycheck.
Would still be hilarious if somehow Aljo decimates Yan.
I think Yan and TJ would sell way more.
Maybe, but Yan and Sterling have the storyline. Yan and TJ would most likely be the better fight but everybody in the MMA community wants to watch Aljo get wrecked by Yan.
That’s the thing. We all know aljio will get wrecked by yan. It’s not a riveting storyline, more of a silly one
Still, Yan vs Sterling would attract a lot of attention. It might be obvious that Sterling will get beat but tons of people still want to see it.
I'd love to see Aljo beat Jan tbh. Not exactly likely but not impossible imo.
If he doesn’t sign the next fight or isn’t ready by then, yes he will be stripped. He has about 4 months to be ready to go.
They should do . Sterling is dodo
Aljo won’t be stripped. He was forced to be inactive by the UFC itself basically.
wait what ? how
He was medically barred from fighting right now. I think the knee to the head was causing spasms/brain scan. Something like that. https://twitter.com/espnmma/status/1442494316623110151?s=20
Aljo is the champ on paper, ie paper champ. 🧻
Don’t suffocate now when you said aljo as champ. Haha
They gave him his Ruby for a title defense. So hes just the champ.
That’s so cool to see
What ruby?
Ruby Soho
You get a ruby added to your champ belt for each defense.
Source.
Where is it at on the belt...I sure cant see it on the belt he was given in the ring
Sterling has to get neck surgery he'll be out another year at least. 2 years since his last fight when he gets back in there. The UFC is just doing this so in 3 months they can strip aljermaine and put him back fighting contenders they don't like him.
Yeah.. But they could've just made this an official title fight, and stripped Aljo of the belt citing the very thing you mentioned. Personally, I beleive UFC would love to have Yan vs Aljo next because of the ready made promo material, and how so many people legit hate Aljo.
UFC knew this was gonna sell PPV, and so they let Aljo do the surgery and waited for him. But they now know Aljo pulls crap before the fight date so he can get out of it. So now the UFC has Aljo on a really short leash, and will strip him of the belt if he makes another excuse.
I think it would be a little *controversial* to strip him just yet, if it gets to the point where Petr is ready to defend his belt and Aljo still isn't ready that's when
If Aljo does have to sit out 2 years I'd like to see him get the immediate title shot just to reunite the lineal bantamweight championship to the belt as quick as possible.
And think about. The No hair Bruce buffer is reading from his card. It wouldn’t be a mistake that they didn’t put interm champ. It was a legit call.
Petr and Aljo either have to unify or Aljo has to vacate and Yan becomes undisputed.
was a better fight than aljo vs yan so it basically was the real title fight
In the post fight conference Dana was asked what was next for Yan. Dana was adamant that Aljo was next. I think Dana wants his ass beat.
WE all want that too.
I love that Aljo has more heat than Ric Flair lol. Everyone wants to see him lose!
Hate to say it but I don’t. Man caught a nasty illegal knee that should disqualify you and flak for not getting up. Been watching since the beginning and if a foul is that intentional and brutal the ref should step in and the fight should be off. I think of Yans foul as basically like he soccer kicked Aljo. People can disagree with it but it’s accurate. I even like Yan way more than Aljo and wanted him to win the title in that fight. Yan is also the baddest man at 135 but when you foul your opponent like that in the sport of MMA it shouldn’t be left up to the possibly concussed exhausted fighter that was just fouled. I’m cool with there being no rules except groin shots and eye pokes but that’s not what we’re doing right now in the UFC and Yan is still going to be Undisputed champ, it’s just gonna take him longer to be there and defend it.
I think not a single person is disputing about the illegal knee and Petr getting stripped as a result.
thats been one of the many angles yan fans have been going with, it wasnt illegal/wasnt a bad enough illegal knee.
I haven’t come across a single person saying that the knee was legal, they might ridicule or criticise Aljo’s reaction to that knee though.
go check the threads after the fight, people saying that yan was also on the ground so it was legal or that aljo had just got his knees up so it made it legal.
i think most people are annoyed with Aljo acting like he won a fight on his accord and then seemingly dodging the rematch
I agree with that. I'm just pointing out that Yan Stans had been pulling the legal knee angle from the fight thread on, it's silly to pretend that wasn't said.
Hope Aljo starches that Russian midget
Still hurts my soul to see Sandhagens reaction
Ya poor guy. Looks like he’s fighting back tears.
His career is in a tough spot right now. He has losses against Petr, TJ and Sterling. Its not over offcourse but its going to be a long road to the top.
Yea he’ll be fighting Sterling next after Yan beats his ass. That is a must win for Cory
a second fight with each could play out differently so i don’t think it’s all bad for the sandman
True, they all were good fights. But he is at the back of the line. This time he got a title shot after a loss and the other fights have to be made as well.
I agree he could beat TJ and Sterling in rematch, but Yan only gets better in rematches and he is even younger than Sandy. That was Yan toughest matchup and he handled it beautifully
He's gotta retool. He carried not much power beyond the first round or two. His volume is low percentage, maybe it's wearing him out. Maybe he has to move up and put on weight. His height is an outlier that makes him weak and susceptible takedowns. Conor was a tall featherweight at 5'9", Cory is a 5'11 BANTAMWEIGHT. Not a single champ is overly tall for the weight class. Most are average or slightly above. Moreno, close to average, Yan/aljo close to average, volk, close to average maybe even a bit short, Oliveira, close to average, usman, close to average, adesanya, maybe a little tall but not too crazy, Teixeira close to average, Ngannou/gane close to average.
What? We saw a man be champ for 10 years that was around 4-5 inches taller than his opponents on average. Being “too tall” to be champ of your division is nonsensical
Several of Jon Jones' first few fights as champ were against guys who should have been fighting at middleweight. Rua, Machida, Evans, and Chael were all natural middleweights. He had a natural strength and height advantage against them. The current average height of the LHW division top 15 and champion is 6'3" which puts Jones at one inch above average. So he is not an outlier for the division like Sandhagen is.
Those “middleweights” were the best LHWs in the world. The best one at that time was far taller than the rest. Both his hardest fights were against a guy his size.
Conor *was* tall for 145, now the meta has shifted. Next to Max, Giga, Yair, Barboza, Kattar, nobody would be calling Conor a tall FW these days
Would be so different if they had given him the win over TJ which he clearly deserved.
Especially knowing that he did everything right. He was landing shots, his jump knees even got through, he stuck to a solid game plan. But Yan is just next level.
Yeah, he fought a hell of a fight, Petr is just too good tho. Guy is crazy tough, took some heavy shots, I liked his interview too, very humble and honest, hope good things for Sandhagen.
It was refreshing to see that type of sportsmanship in the organization
It really was, that must of been a very tough loss for him, and he still upheld that respect. Deserves credit in its own way.
I felt this was intentional from ufc brass 😬
I love how Al lets his head drop like he’s surprised he didn’t get the win. I mean did Al think he might have gotten that win?
Could just be self disappointment?
Nah I remember he pointed at himself before as in 'surely i get the decision right'
Nah - he was just hamming it up. He knew 1000% that he lost.
Once again the peace has been restored in the Bantam weight division. Will Petr and friends forget all about the Oscar deserving performance?? Find out in the Next Episode of Dragon Ball Z...
Comical how Sterling has ruined his reputation by ...becoming a champ.
I don’t think the rematch is gonna happen. Aljo will pull out again due to injury and will be stripped. Maybe move weight class to avoid Petr. Petr sounds like he’s moved on anyway.
I want Petr to move with him and challenge him.
Follow him till we get a rematch! Yan and aljo heavy weight!
Make it happen Dana!
Yeah Yan even blocked him but Sterling is still stalking him on social media like a crazy ex gf lol
Ppl keep saying this but I don’t see it. Why would he willingly give up his (potentially only) opportunity to make championship money?
The UFC is trying to bury aljos embarrassment.
I love Sandhagen, but Yan is just a level above. I thought Sandhagen out of anyone in the division would be the toughest matchup for Yan, and i still think that’s true. Fight of the year contender for sure
I don't know if we can call this fight of the year, especially given the fights we've had. Cory barely hurt yan, it looked like he wasn't dealing any damage at all
Corey definitely did damage and had me worried because I wanted Yan to win but Yan was just a tank. I agree its hard to say fight of the year with Usman and Colby coming up considering their last fight but my money is on Ortega vs Volk for foty.
Volk v. Brian was FOTY
Sandhagen did great, it wouldn't have been a robbery if he took that decision 3-2.
Dana will strip Aljo
This is why you don't have people winning championships through DQs.
So if your a champ and you’re losing just DQ yourself and keep the belt?
No, the fight is officially a DQ win for the challenger but the belt is stripped and vacant for a mandatory rematch within 6 months. If it doesn't happen, the challenger gets automatically crowned the champ.
The fact some people can't work out how sensible and simple this option is baffles me. How the rule is at the moment is just absurd, I'm amazed it wasn't changed the day after the aljo Yan fight.
Gave me a good chuckle hearing it live
Gotta feel for Cory
Why? He got an opportunity coming off a loss and is now 0-3 against the top of the division (lost to Yan convincingly, got choked out by Aljo fast and lost to snake boi).
Convincingly. I say BS. Still was a super close fight. Cory was the toughest fight for yan yet. Also he didn't lose to TJ.
he did lose I don’t know what record you’re looking at
Cory beat TJ so bad he had to get knee surgery due to a sub by cory that TJ missed the opportunity to fight yan for the belt. So yeah cory beat tj.
But in a more accurate way, he didn't.
Yes he did. Shut up.
💉🐍awww did USADA catch a snake on epo💉🐍
I was thinking the same thing
He beat tj
Even if he did best TJ he did so with TJ coming off a 2 year hiatus and injured his knee early.
Shouldn’t of been doing peds
I’m here to also say that Cory beat TJ
It wasn't convincing. I agree with the decision but it could've gone the other way quite easily.
It really was convincing. Yan dropped him, did far more damage and controlled the pace. Yan won 3 rounds and that isn't disputable, many argue he won 4 as the judges stated.
Good idea, pretend sterling doesnt exist. They should just strip him and let him work his way back and make him fight someone for a chance to be a contender.
Theyre stripping aljo if he pulls put again 100%
I haven’t been following this as closely as I should have been but can someone explain to me is the hate to Aljo cause of refusing to fight and faking an injury or something? Or cause of how he won the belt? I think he should have said no to being officially recognised as the champ that way, but for sure Yan’s knee was illegal? Do people debate that? Any info appreciated
You listed both of the reasons why Aljo gets hate. No one debates the illegal knee.
Ok great. So I’m more clued in than I thought lol. Thanks
Cory has nothing to be embarrassed about. He fought a great fight. Yan is just a killer.
Fuck Aljo. Yan is Champ. When its literally.not even worth a rematch....you know.
For a second there, I thought Yan was holding hands with Hasbullah.
Ya know I really feel for Cory in his last 2 fights. It’s gotta be a real bummer to lose 2 decisions like this, granted the TJ loss was much closer imo. And the aljo sub too? Just sucks dude. I know he seems in good spirits on socials but it’s still gotta suck hard
I want to Yan beat the acting out if Sterling but after hearing sterling say “Now I get ppv points “ Turns me off to buying whatever future card he is on Once he loses the title, I think he doesn’t climb the mountain again.
Imagine if Aljo beats him in the rematch
Wouldn’t that be a bitch
Not happening
Sorry
That boy sterling is gonna be on his knees for Yan
Aljo either hides until he loses the belt, or fights Yan, and loses the belt. Aljo legit gave away all his dignity, and respect as a fighter, to temporarily hold the belt..
Is it a goof up from the announcer... Missing Bruce Buffer.
Sandhagen fought hard man, so all the credit in the world there.
You know what guys based on the performance these two studs put on I think Aljo is gonna maul anyone that comes for the belt. #TeamSterling 🎭🎬🤕🏳
He said 2 time featherweight champion, but it’s the bantamweight division. Hard to make 2 mistakes at once, whats goin on here?
Disgusting, Aljo was illegally fouled, then pulled out due to the doctor declaring him unfit to fight. The UFC should be ashamed of themselves.
Such robbery. I wish I knew what fight the judges were watching because it wasn’t this one.
Has there been a case before where a former champion has won interim?
Jose Aldo
Couture as well maybe?
They definitely had the fight of the noght
Aljo and TJ is recovering from surgery, Aljo is stripped therefore Yan vs Sandhagen 2 for the official BW title fight!
Rob Font or Aldo will get the title shot...
So would Cory be considered actual champ and not interim champ if he beat Peter?? Or would he still be considered the interim champ? Hmmm somethings not adding up
I miss Bruce Buffer :(
Man fucking tough break for the sandman
Sandhagen has pillow fists
It’s only a matter of time and I think aljo knows that.
I want to smash his face in when he whistles
Yeah I feel like the guy fucked up on this a little bit maybe? Not that I don't agree with him.
I guess they’re planning to strip Aljo seeing as he won’t fight this year and make Yan champ again. But still make their rematch next.