Aljamain Sterling isn't looking for a fight since suffering his first non-championship loss since 2017.
'Funk Master' was on his way to becoming one of the best bantamweight champions ever. Although Sterling took the title with a controversial disqualification, he proved his worth with three consecutive title defenses, all against former champions.
This failed at UFC 292, where significant underdog Sean O'Malley knocked out Sterling in the second round with a sharp right hand. Since then, Sterling announced his move to featherweight, where he defeated Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 and then lost a close decision to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310.
Now he has set his sights on a huge challenge.
Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images
Aljamain Sterling calls up Arnold Allen for his next fight at featherweight
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Sterling called out England's Arnold Allen, the No. 7 featherweight contender. 'Almighty' also had a controversial loss to Evloev, but bounced back with a dominant victory over Giga Chikadze at UFC 304.
“It would be fun to shake things up with Arnold Allen; I think he's a tough striker,” said Sterling. “. . . I'm curious to see what my striking game looks like [featherweight] with a man like that because I don't have to force the wrestling or worry about being taken down.
The fight makes sense from a matchmaking perspective, as Allen has regained his momentum from losing to Evloev, and Sterling will look to steal it from him. It depends if Allen wants to mix it up with a different position versus the submission/damage wrestler.
Arnold Allen's next fight update did not involve Aljamain Sterling
'Almighty' sat down with collective reporters after attending UFC Edmonton in November 2024. Allen claimed he would target the March 22 UFC London event, with names like Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega discussed.
Rodriguez is rumored to fight Diego Lopes at UFC Mexico on March 29, leaving Allen with fewer options. The Brit would prefer to face higher-ranked fighters, so No. 6 Ortega would be the perfect compromise.
Hopefully we'll see in the coming weeks if Allen gets his ideal offer.
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