Aljamain Sterling is set to take on Brian Ortega this weekend at UFC Fight Night Shanghai in the co-main event of the card. It is a big moment in both men’s careers, and with Ortega ranked number five and Sterling ranked number seven in the Featherweight division, it could be a huge moment that shapes the Featherweight division going forward. With Lerone Murphy all but set to be the next challenger to Alexander Volkanovski for the Featherweight belt, this fight could lead to a number one contender bout for the winner of the bout.
This will be Sterling’s third fight at Featherweight. His first bout in the division saw him defeat Calvin Kattar via unanimous decision in dominant fashion. His second fight in the division saw him lose a close decision to Movsar Evloev in one of the most entertaining fights of the year. Sterling has an undeniable pedigree in the UFC, as his time in the Bantamweight division has shown. He was champion of the division and had three title defences, with wins over the likes of Petr Yan, T.J. Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo. His time in the division has cemented his name as one of the Bantamweight greats. Sterling is well-rounded, but grappling is where he shines most. His second win against Petr Yan displayed that more than any other fight, where he was able to consistently secure body triangles against Yan and control the fight, ultimately winning the decision.
Ortega comes into this fight in a poor run of form, with three losses in his last four. He has only fought three times since his September 2021 loss to Volkanovski due to recurring injury problems. His last fight against Diego Lopes saw him lose via Unanimous decision, where he was outclassed by Lopes on the feet. Ortega is an extremely talented grappler, with eight of his 16 wins coming by way of submission. His most recent win against Yair Rodriguez showed that he still has his finishing ability, as he won that fight via third-round submission. A win for Ortega would be huge for his career trajectory. If he can win this fight, it will propel his name back into the title picture.
This fight will come down to who can dominate the grappling exchanges. Both fighters are extremely talented on the ground, so it will be interesting to see how they approach this matchup. On the feet, expect Sterling to try to keep the distance with his use of leg kicks, whilst Ortega will likely try to use his boxing to close the distance and impose his grappling.
