The ramifications of Petr Yan becoming the first fighter in UFC history to lose a title by disqualification has been riddled with questions about how it happened.
On the face of it, it’s simple: Yan (15-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) threw an illegal knee after the referee told him Aljamain Sterling was in a knocked-down position during the fourth round of their bantamweight title fight at UFC 259 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Sterling (20-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) was badly compromised by the battle, the fight was waved off and the belt changed hands.
However, an extra layer emerged shortly afterwards when questions arise about a possible misunderstanding with Yan’s angle. The Russian had multiple cornermen who spoke to him in different languages, and that could have added to the confusion behind his illegal action.
UFC broadcaster ESPN has released footage from the corner purse, and according to a translation from Russian to English made by UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, one of Yan’s coaches told him to hit Sterling with something other than punches while going down. was (via