Athletes
Aljamain Sterling: “I’m Still Here”
Former Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling Looks To Defeat Brian Ortega And Get One Step Closer To Securing Gold At 145 Pounds
I’m not quite sure how you go out and top Lerone Murphy’s spinning back elbow knockout at UFC 319 last weekend, but Aljamain Sterling is sure going to try.
It’s been over eight months since the New Yorker has been in competition. His last time out he faced undefeated Movsar Evloev in December, where he lost by unanimous decision. Sterling still believes he should’ve gotten the nod that night, but regardless, life moves on. It hasn’t been easy for the former bantamweight champ, who has been asking for fights, but not locking anything in.
Saturday's Fight By Fight Preview
But he finally got one locked in, former title challenger Brian Ortega, in the co-main event slot in Shanghai. With Alexander Volkanovski reclaiming his spot atop the throne at 145 pounds, everyone is gunning for the opportunity to get their crack at gold.
Ortega vs Sterling Co-Main Preview | UFC Shanghai
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Ortega vs Sterling Co-Main Preview | UFC Shanghai
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“When I first moved to the featherweight division, Brian Ortega was ranked two or three, so when I came up, I wanted to fight him because if I beat the highest ranked guy, that should put me next in line for a title shot,” Sterling said. “Now, he is ranked in the top five and it’s the only fight that really makes sense for either one of us, instead of fighting back and down in the division, so I get this win, and it puts me in the top five positioning and hopefully one fight away, if not, next in line for the title shot.”
Picking up a belt in his new division has always been the goal for “Funk Master” after his reign at bantamweight. It’s been over a year since he made the jump to featherweight, earning a win over Calvin Kattar last April.
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His fight this Saturday, which is being held at a catchweight of 153 pounds, marks only the second time the 36-year-old has competed outside of the United States in his entire career, the other time being when he defended his belt against TJ Dillashaw in Abu Dhabi a few years ago. Despite all the additional things that come along with fighting in another country across the world, Sterling is excited to show up and show out in front a sold-out crowd inside Shanghai Indoor Stadium.
He gets to do so with a fun dance partner in Ortega, as well. Saturday’s fight marks Ortega’s first contest since he lost to Diego Lopes last September at Noche UFC. Even with his up and down results over the past few years, Sterling is the first to note how dangerous “T-City” is.
“Tough opponent, great boxing,” Sterling said. “I think really good jiu-jitsu, I think people have seen that from him over and over again in a lot of his fights. You can’t count him out because he always finds a way to come back and win. There’re a couple things that we have to keep in mind going into this fight, being smart. He also has the veteran experience, so I don’t expect him to make too many mistakes, and I just have to be sharper in every single position and try to win every single minute of the clock and of the exchanges. Every single minute is going to be crucial, making sure I’m in the driver’s seat and controlling the tempo of the fight and utilizing my takedowns and hopefully getting the finish.”
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With eight of Ortega’s 16 wins ending by submission, but Sterling never losing a fight by submission, it’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out between two high-level grapplers. When Sterling asked how he envisions the fight going on Saturday, he said it depends what version of Ortega shows up because he knows he is going to show up and push the pace. He knows Ortega is a threat everywhere and anything can happen at any moment, so he has to stay focused.
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And as far as what’s next for Sterling with a win over Ortega, he isn’t quite sure, because he was in honest in saying that it isn’t up to him to make those decisions. With Murphy coming off his huge knockout last weekend, and another big featherweight fight happening in a few weeks between Lopes and Jean Silva, a lot of things are up in the air, which means Sterling just has to take it one step at a time.
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One thing is for sure - he is out to a make a statement and move one step closer to a shot at the title on Saturday
“My statement this weekend is that I want to remind the division and remind the fans that I’m still a title contender. I’ve had my run, I’ve had my time in the sun, but I’m still here and I’m still kicking and I’m still looking to become a champion again.”
UFC Fight Night: Walker vs Zhang took place live from Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai, China on August 23, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!