See You In 2023!

Maybe 2024. Let’s say 2025 just to be safe.

Aljamain Sterling, it seems, is not without a sense of humor.

The UFC bantamweight champion — a designation disputed by interim titleholder Petr Yan — is expected to make his Octagon return at some point in early 2022 and got busted open this week while training for his eventual comeback.

“Three stitches, good as new, doc says back in 2023,” Sterling joked on Twitter.

Sterling underwent neck surgery earlier this year and withdrew from his UFC 267 rematch against Yan after failing to recover in time for the event. “Funk Master” insists his longterm health is more important than Yan’s sour grapes and won’t step foot inside the Octagon until he’s 100-percent healthy.

At least in terms of his neck.

In his absence, Yan — who lost the title to Sterling via disqualification — outboxed Cory Sandhagen for a unanimous decision victory at UFC 267 and is likely to remain sidelined until “Funk Master” returns, lending credence to this recent prediction.

That means this top contender will also be riding the pine for the foreseeable future.