Aljamain Sterling Recalls Cory Sandhagen's Reaction to UFC 250 Loss

Aljamain Sterling says Cory Sandhagen did not hide his frustration after their UFC 250 fight in June 2020, cursing him out in a courtyard encounter hours after Sterling choked him out.

Sterling submitted Sandhagen with a rear-naked choke in under 90 seconds that night, a result that sent him on to a title shot against Petr Yan. Recalling the aftermath on his YouTube channel, Sterling said he ran into Sandhagen later that evening and got an earful.

"I saw him later that night in the courtyard and basically he said, 'Congrats, you f***ing asshole,'" Sterling said. "I was just like, 'Fair.' What can I say to that? You got it. I'll take that."

Why This Story Resurfaced

The UFC 250 memory came up as Sterling and his co-hosts discussed Andre Fili's sportsmanship at UFC Vegas 122, where Fili knocked out Kai Kamaka III with a head kick and immediately pulled back from following up once he saw Kamaka was out cold. Fili later explained his restraint by saying, "I'm a criminal, but I'm not a piece of s***."

That led Sterling to draw a comparison to his own fight against Marlon Moraes, who knocked him out with a knee strike and then backed off once it was clear Sterling was finished. Asked if it would have meant anything for Moraes to check on him afterward, Sterling didn't hesitate.

"No," Sterling said. "Absolutely not. For what?"

Sterling praised Fili for showing restraint in a moment where it would have been easy to let the referee take the blame for not stepping in sooner. "The guy's got a family, man," Sterling said. "So I always respect that, because you could easily go it's the ref's fault... so kudos to him for that."

The Sandhagen Fight's Lasting Impact

The UFC 250 result remains one of the defining wins of Sterling's career, a dominant finish that positioned him as the clear No. 1 contender at bantamweight before he went on to beat Petr Yan for the title on a controversial disqualification and later won the rematch outright. Sandhagen rebuilt from that setback into a perennial top-five 135-pounder, but the quick submission loss to Sterling is still the fastest defeat of his UFC run and a fight he clearly has not forgotten, based on Sterling's retelling.

For bettors, the anecdote is a reminder of how fast futures and momentum can shift in a stacked bantamweight division. Sandhagen entered that 2020 matchup as a live underdog with title aspirations, and a 90-second finish wiped out that line almost instantly. It is the kind of result that underscores why live, in-fight betting in title-eliminator matchups carries real volatility, particularly in a division as deep and finish-heavy as bantamweight.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened between Aljamain Sterling and Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250?

Aljamain Sterling submitted Cory Sandhagen with a rear-naked choke in under 90 seconds at UFC 250 in June 2020, and Sterling says Sandhagen later cursed him out when they crossed paths that night.

Why did Aljamain Sterling bring up the Cory Sandhagen fight again?

Sterling recalled the moment on his YouTube channel while discussing Andre Fili's restraint after knocking out Kai Kamaka III at UFC Vegas 122, drawing a comparison to how Marlon Moraes reacted after knocking Sterling out.

What did the win over Cory Sandhagen mean for Aljamain Sterling's career?

The finish made Sterling the No. 1 bantamweight contender and set up his eventual title win over Petr Yan, making it one of the most pivotal results of his career.