UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is feeling "sick and gross" after piling on 40lb within ten days of his UFC 273 weigh-in.
Sterling defended his title against Petr Yan on Saturday April 9, 24 hours after weighing in under the division's 135lb limit at 134.5lb. But in a social media post to his Instagram followers yesterday, he showed that he is now tipping the scales at a massive 176lb, just nine days after making weight.
The massive weight gain likely would have begun on the day of the weigh-in, when Sterling rehydrated and got up to a larger fight weight, but he has also said that he feels like a "bacon" after seeing the "ridiculous" number on the scales last night.
“I feel fat and gross," Sterling said in a tweet after discovering his major weight gain. "My cheeks are so big. I don’t recognise myself. Diet starts tomorrow."
He also shared a video of the scales to his social media accounts with varying captions. His Twitter post read “look at this bantamweight! That’s a sick, sick, man! Exactly one week after my fight. Wow," while his Instagram one added "I am a bacon right now! Enjoying the fruits of my labor, but this is getting ridiculous!"
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman responded to Sterling's post with "damn bro", likely understanding the struggles the bantamweight titlist has been through. Fighters have to go on rigid diets, generally including a vicious weight-cut on the week of the fight, in order to make the precise limits of their divisions.
Sterling got himself into the shape of his life for the rematch with Yan, entering the octagon as an underdog despite having won their last bout. Their initial meeting had ended in controversy when the Russian, then the defending champion, landed an illegal knee to earn a disqualification after annihilating the American over four rounds.
But after undergoing surgery on a lingering neck issue, Sterling got into phenomenal condition for his rematch with the Russian, and walked away with a tight split decision victory from their second meeting. Yan has demanded a rematch, but having just lost twice to Sterling, he will likely need another fight first.
Do you believe that Aljamain Sterling won against Petr Yan at UFC 273? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
Meanwhile, Sterling accused his rival of underhanded tactics, claiming he was getting too much water poured on him between rounds. "For round four, I took him down and they didn't score my takedown and I jumped his back," Sterling told MMA Junkie after the fight.
"I shouldn't have done that. I should've just broke him down regularly and not be cool and get style points, which I want to get style points, but you know, we're slippery. He did pour a lot of water on his head in between those rounds, which I don't even know.
"That's not legal. I don't know how they didn't dry him off. But I slipped off the top and I accepted the bottom position instead of trying to get up. I could have gotten up."
