Aljamain Sterling responds to Patricio Pitbull claiming he turned down UFC 314 fight
Yesterday at 11:20 AM
Aljamain Sterling has taken to social media to put some rumors right regarding his return to the Octagon.
Earlier this week, the UFC featherweight division was given a huge boost when Dana White announced the long awaited signing of Patricio Pitbull.
The UFC boss announced that Pitbull will take on Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 on April 12 from Miami, Florida, giving him the chance to immediately add his name to the title picture at 145lbs.
Giving the former Bellator double champion even more of a boost, the featherweight title was left vacant when Ilia Topuria announced his permanent move to lightweight leaving a vacant title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes.
Aljamain Sterling responds to Pibull claiming he ‘ran’ from him
For several months, Pitbull had been calling for his Bellator release, claiming that the promotion weren’t honouring his contract by offering him fights.
Initially, Dana White wasn’t keen on signing the Brazilian, however, he was convinced by his matchmakers. Initially, Pitbull wanted a fight against either Topuria, Volkanovski, or Lopes but was asked by the promotion if he’d fight Aljamain Sterling.
Pitbull went on to accuse Sterling of running from the potential fight, which left him with a matchup against Rodriguez.
The former bantamweight champion, Sterling last fought at UFC 310 against Movsar Evloev, losing the fight via unanimous decision.
However, following Pitbull’s comments, ‘Funkmaster’ has responded to his claim that he ‘ran’, offering his side of the story.
“I agreed to fight Pibull in April. As I’ve been away and also while handling personal matters. I can’t take short notice fights where I’m clearly not ready anymore,” Sterling said on X.
Aljamain Sterling has other ideas for his next fight
Despite claiming he accepted a fight against Pitbull, Sterling has other ideas in mind for his comeback to the Octagon.
With his UFC 310 fight against Evloev having been so closely contested, he believes a rematch over five rounds is needed, with the winner earning a shot at the title.
The undefeated Russian likely feels hard done by to miss out on a vacant title fight, however, he clearly isn’t the bosses biggest fan as White has previously slammed Evloev for his performances against Arnold Allen and Sterling.
