Aljamain Sterling has defended his attempt to secure a UFC featherweight title shot.
Alexander Volkanovski returned to action last Saturday for the first defense of his second reign on the throne at 145 pounds.
The legendary Australian had his hand raised on home soil by repeating the result that saw him regain the crown in 2025.
Volkanovski beat Diego Lopes at UFC 325 in a rematch that not many believe was warranted. Both Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev were pointed to by most as more deserving options.
With that in mind, the pair’s UFC London headliner is expected to produce Volkanovski’s next opponent. However, one other prominent name in the top five has said not so fast…
LATEST NEWS: Ex-title challenger wants to alter UFC’s plan for Valentina Shevchenko with proposition to Dana White
Aljamain Sterling pitches OG vs OG title fight against Alexander Volkanovski
Since Aljamain Sterling lost to Movsar Evloev in December 2024, he has won just one fight.
But the American believes his status as one of the greatest bantamweights of all time means he should get a featherweight title shot off the back of beating Brian Ortega last August.
“This guy right here,” Sterling said in a video he posted on X regarding who should fight Volkanovski next.
“I got a newfound skillset at 36 years old. Two OGs going after it, I think I make a great case for a fight like that.
“I pose a lot of threats on the ground, striking, when it comes to speed, when it comes to IQ, when to level change, when to look for takedowns,” he added.
“I think that makes me a threat in all facets of the game.”
The polarizing veteran received pushback on more than one claim, with some dismissing his push for a shot at Volkanovski and others downplaying his GOAT credentials at 135 pounds.
Sterling responded to multiple critics with the same three-word line.
“Numbers don’t lie,” he wrote.
Numbers don’t lie https://t.co/hRvVX8x1dt— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) February 6, 2026
Before moving up to featherweight, Sterling enjoyed a record-breaking bantamweight title reign.
During his stint on the throne, ‘Funk Master’ accumulated the most consecutive successful title defenses in a row by beating Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo, and TJ Dillashaw.
LATEST NEWS: Mario Bautista leaves fans baffled with big regret from Umar Nurmagomedov loss: ‘This is stupid…’
Aljamain Sterling faces competition from the undefeated UFC London…
2026-02-06 23:00:00
