UFC 259: Sterling cites ‘Khabib-style stress’ as he outlines masterplan to dethrone Russian bantamweight king Yan

UFC bantamweight Aljamain Sterling has referenced “Khabib-style sort of stress” as a part of an method which he believes will result in victory when he faces Russian reigning 135lbs champion Petr Yan at UFC 259.

Sterling and Yan collide in a rearranged title match-up in Las Vegas on March 6 with each males on sizzling streaks.

Yan captured UFC gold with a fifth-round TKO victory over Brazilian icon Jose Aldo at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi in July, the newest in a 10-fight profitable run for the Siberian.

Sterling, in the meantime, heads into his assembly with ‘No Mercy’ on a five-fight profitable streak, and in his final Octagon look submitted fellow contender Cory Sandhagen.

Yan and Sterling have been initially slated to battle in December, just for the Russian to disclose that visa points and journey disruption had scuttled these hopes.

However with Yan now coaching within the US and each males ramping up their preparations, issues are set for the 2 standout bantamweights to grace a stacked UFC 259 card on the UFC Apex.

And once they do meet, Sterling has pointed to a transparent technique he feels pays dividends towards the 28-year-old champ.  

“I feel he’s been examined, [but] I don’t suppose he’s essentially had guys attacking him always like a Khabib-style sort of stress trying to get him to the bottom, and that adjustments the tempo of the battle,” Sterling informed ESPN, MMA Junkie reported. 

“He can attempt to cease the takedown with punches as a lot as he desires. I simply want one takedown. I can shoot 100 occasions, he can cease it 100 occasions. I get that one takedown, that 101st takedown try, I get him down on his again, it’s going to be an extended night time for that man.

“That’s what I actually, really do imagine. He’s good on the bottom, I do know he can damage me, I do know what the threats are however on the finish of the day, he has to attach. I simply must get my palms locked and it’ll be a foul night time for him.”

Jamaican-American star Sterling boasts eight submission wins in his 19 victories as an MMA skilled – whereas Yan is understood extra for the sort of concussive placing energy which finally proved an excessive amount of for Aldo once they met final 12 months.   

“I nonetheless know he’s harmful and he’s basically sound,” Sterling added of his opponent. “I simply need to understand how the positive factors he’s made in his defensive method for stopping a takedown.

“There’s a cause he pulled out of the battle from the primary one. We by no means had no readability on why he pulled out of that battle. It’s obtained to be one thing up.”

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Yan, in the meantime, lately vowed that his battle with Sterling is not going to go the gap, scoffing at Sterling’s proposed plan for a takedown barrage and claiming as a substitute that he’ll want “plan B aka plan ‘Bicycle’.”

Sterling and Yan will meet within the first of three title fights at UFC 259, as ladies’s stars Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson contest the Brazilian’s featherweight crown, earlier than Polish light-heavyweight ruler Jan Blachowicz places his title on the road towards Kiwi middleweight champ Israel Adesanya.