MOSCOW, Apr 8 Reigning UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling explained , why did not hold back tears after the weigh-in ceremony before the title fight with the Russian Petr Yan. Both fighters met the regulated weight. Sterling's weight was 134.5 pounds (61 kg), Jan — 134 pounds (60.7 kg). «Many people thought that my career was over. I myself was hoping to return after the operation. And here I stand before you with the goal of returning there, where I was before. It was a very emotional moment for me. The fact is that I had problems during the preparation, but I overcame these difficulties. And after all that I have experienced, I feel like a dream comes true, because before I was in such a state as if the music had stopped. And therefore I am glad that I have the opportunity to continue to perform, «the fighter said in an interview after the weigh-in. The fight between Jan and Sterling will take place on April 10 as part of the 273rd UFC tournament in Jacksonville (USA). In the first duel with an American athlete, held in March 2021, Yang lost the title after a disqualification for an illegal knee to the opponent's head.
