The bantamweight division is finally going to be able to move on from its murky title picture as Aljamain Sterling defends his controversial bantamweight title against Petr Yan at UFC 273. There is plenty of beef in the fight and the fans have very strong opinions on who they think will win. Sterling brings his excellent ground game with his ever-evolving standup game, Yan brings his well-rounded game that has given everyone problems so far. The first fight saw both men have success but it was Yan that started taking over as the fight went on. The fight is almost more difficult to break down the second time around and it will be interesting to see who changes their game plan heading into the rematch at UFC 273.

 

Aljamain Sterling had to deal with a lot heading into UFC 273. The champion* had multiple injuries and surgeries, and has had a lot of hate from MMA fans. Sterling was on an excellent streak before the first Petr Yan fight and seemed to be putting everything together. The main thing that was noted on the streak was just how good Sterling's grappling is. He submitted Cory Sandhagen in a matter of seconds and pulled off a rare suloev stretch against Cody Stamann. His cardio has been a problem in the past and it was seemingly an issue in the first Yan fight. Sterling appears to be in incredible shape and it will be interesting to see what adjustments he made for this fight.

Petr Yan is a huge favorite in this fight and it has a lot to do with how dominant he was in the first fight. Yan started to take over later in the fight and it was clear the fight was his. Yan is very well-rounded and many are convinced he will go down as one of the greatest bantamweights of all time. There are no doubts about his excellent striking and his cardio is excellent. His ground game is very solid but he will be tested by Aljamain Sterling. The Russian is expected to get his title back but things are going to be very interesting.

Here are the UFC 273 odds, featuring our Sterling-Yan prediction, courtesy of FanDuel.

UFC 273 Odds: Sterling-Yan Odds

Aljamain Sterling (+360)

Petr Yan (-460)

Over 4.5 rounds (-134)

Under 4.5 rounds (+104)

How Aljamain Sterling Wins The Fight At UFC 273

Aljamain Sterling is in for a tough night at UFC 273, there's no way around it. He does pose some advantages and he'll need to use them perfectly in order to be successful. His reach and ground game will play a factor. His questionable gas tank means he'll need to look for the finish in the first two rounds in order to keep the best. Petr Yan is a tricky striker with excellent takedown defense. Sterling will have to go all-in early in order to find the finish. He had plenty of luck early on in the first fight and that should be the case here too. Going to the body while mixing in the knees will help him find success and earn the Russian's respect. His kicks found him plenty of success last time and with the right adjustments, Sterling will find success early here too. Mixing in takedowns to force Yan to hesitate will be very important. Sterling finds an early submission to claim the belt in a legitimate fashion.

How Petr Yan Wins The Fight At UFC 273

Petr Yan typically has slow starts but he gets really dangerous the longer the fight goes. He'll look to allow Aljamain Sterling to tire himself out in the early rounds before taking over in the third. The Russian has plenty in his arsenal and he'll look to keep the fight standing. The bigger cage favors him and Sterling's cardio also plays right into his game. The fight starts to take a turn in the third round and the Russian takes over in the striking and keeps the fight off of the ground. His takedown defense only gets better as the fight goes on and he'll start to pull away. Stuffed takedown attempts will lead to opportunities for Yan to get top control and land some big shots. The Russian cleanly win the last three rounds to earn a decision win in the rematch.

Final Sterling-Yan Prediction & Pick

Aljamain Sterling won't be as active as in the first fight but he should find success early. His cardio is going to be an important factor in how the fight goes. His kicks and varied strikes should help him win the first and maybe even the second round. Petr Yan starts to find his rhythm and takes over in the third round and continues to look good for the rest of the fight. A finish could come but it's likely the Russian finishes strong to earn the title back by decision.

Final Sterling-Yan Pick: Petr Yan wins by decision.