Aljamain Sterling has called for a title shot at Featherweight following his win against Brian Ortega in the co-main event of UFC Shanghai. It was a dominant victory for the 36-year-old, who seems to be getting better with age. Sterling’s striking in particular has seemingly gone up a level, and his use of different striking techniques was very impressive.
Sterling was able to use his striking to win the earlier rounds before dominating the later grappling exchanges to get the decision victory. A win over number five-ranked Ortega, who previously fought for the belt on two occasions, means that Sterling’s name is in the title picture.
Sterling has now called for a title shot against the current Featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski. In his post-fight interview, he said, “I think I’ve done enough in this game. I’ve been around the block. I defended my belt the most in bantamweight history. I believe that I’m tied for the most bantamweight wins in the UFC. I came to featherweight. I think I did my damn thing against a really tough dude who fought for the belt twice. Respect, Volkanovski is the man, but I’d love an opportunity to fight for the belt again.”
It does seem unlikely that Sterling will be next for a title shot, as Dana White has previously hinted that Lerone Murphy will challenge Volkanovski next, and with Movsar Evloev, who beat Sterling back in December, also waiting for a title shot, as well as with Jean Silva set to take on Diego Lopes, it is currently a competitive time in the Featherweight division.
Sterling will likely have to take on someone else before fighting for the belt. The winner of Diego Lopes Vs. Jean Silva would seem the most likely next fight for Sterling. Both fighters are very exciting and would pose unique problems for Sterling. For Sterling, he knows that achieving another belt in a different division will place his name amongst a very elite category of people with two belts in different divisions in the UFC.
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