Sterling Calls for Featherweight Title Shot
Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling made a fiery public callout, criticizing other featherweights and demanding a shot at the UFC featherweight title. Sterling insists he will "prove them wrong again," signaling his ambition to add a second divisional title to his resume.
Aljamain Sterling's call for a title shot comes after a successful transition to the featherweight division, where he has secured two key victories. His move up in weight followed the end of his bantamweight title reign, where he holds the record for the most consecutive title defenses in the division's history. The current featherweight champion is Alexander Volkanovski, who recently defended his title in a rematch against Diego Lopes. Volkanovski has expressed that he expects his next challenger to be the winner of the upcoming bout between undefeated contenders Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy. Sterling has been vocal in his criticism of the UFC's matchmaking, arguing that the promotion doesn't always pit the best fighters against each other and sometimes prioritizes popularity over rankings. He has urged fans to voice their desire for merit-based title fights. Following a dominant win over former title challenger Brian Ortega, Sterling made his case for a championship opportunity. He believes his extensive resume, including his historic run at bantamweight, has earned him the right to challenge for a second divisional title.
