Aljamain Sterling promised a different fight in his rematch with former champion Petr Yan and boy did he deliver. The UFC bantamweight champion outfought and outsmarted Yan to retain his title in the co-main event of UFC 273, with a close split decision over the interim champion at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. “No Mercy” had gifted his belt to the American in May 2021, kneeing his challenger in the head while he was grounded for a fourth-round disqualification. Sterling had since been sidelined by a serious neck injury that required surgery, while Russia’s Yan went on to claim the interim title with a unanimous decision over Cory Sandhagen at UFC 267. Aljamain Sterling is leaving Jacksonville with the BW belt 🏆 [ @FunkMasterMMA | #UFC273 ] pic.twitter.com/eynrozrTLQ — UFC (@ufc) April 10, 2022 With a first round largely devoid of any action it was the second where Sterling took the fight to the mat and quickly took Yan’s back and threatened his signature rear-naked choke. Yan managed to hold on and survive, but as round three kicked in, the “Funk Master” controlled Yan at every turn. Yan went on the attack early into the fourth and fifth round, but Sterling was able to scramble out of trouble and keep his opponent at bay. UFC 273: Chimaev scrapes by Burns in wild welterweight battle “I know I came in here very highly doubted, people wrote me off but that first fight was a hiccup,” Sterling said in a post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “Petr is dangerous, he brings it every single time and he brought out the best in me.” Yan, however, had other thoughts on the result, telling UFC commentator Rogan he had done enough to get the win. “I think I won this fight, and I got robbed,” Yan said. “I think I won three rounds out of five. Joe Rogan, I want a rematch. I won the first round. Fourth and fifth rounds I win. I want a rematch.” While Sterling admitted Yan had got the better of the later rounds, he quickly turned his attention to future opponents and a potential fight with former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. “TJ Dillashaw where the [expletive] you at? You’re next b****. ‘TJ Pillashaw’, ‘TJ Needleshaw’, it’s gonna be one and done.” TJ answers Sterling’s callout 👀 #UFC273 pic.twitter.com/OOPEZxbqYI — ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 10, 2022 Dillashaw, who was sitting cageside for the fight, responded in kind. “Thanks for the callout my little b****,” he said in a video posted to social media from his seat in the crowd. “I hope you have fun pretending to be the champ, because like I’ve always been saying, daddy’s home and I’m getting that belt. Easy [expletive] money.”