UFC title shots are hard to find for some hunters. Others? Not so much.
After his title victory at Diego Lopes on UFC 314, UFC Vederweight made champion Alexander Volkanovski clear that he did not want to fight against undefeated competition Movsar Evloev in his next defending defense.
A fight between Volkanovski and Evloev, however, does not seem to happen quickly with reports from Evloev fighting Aaron Pico on July 26.
In a recent interview, Volkanovski confirmed that he is in conversation for a rematch 'Want Nobody' against former interim champion Yair Rodriguez.
Another former champion has pronounced their disinterest in the potential matchup.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty images
Aljamain Sterling says that UFC would give Yair Rodriguez title shot, would be 'Crazy Work'
Rodriguez is 1-2 in his last three fights and fought less than two years ago for the undisputed title. The Mexican hunter recovered from back-to-back losses to Volkanovski and Brian Ortega with a dominant decision victory over Patricio Pitbull on UFC 314.
Former Bantamweight champion and #9 UFC Feather Waard Competier Aljamain Sterling says that his former enemy Evloev should have been the next one for Volkanovski, not Rodriguez.
“If they give it to Yair, all respect for Yair, but that's crazy,” Sterling told the Home of Fight.
“But he is popular,” said Sterling about Rodriguez.
“I don't run the company. These guys have all these statistics and things they follow to try to promote fighting.
“I am always a man based on merit. I had to finish. I have seen many boys work and I didn't get their honest shake. I hardly got a fair shake and I had to claw tooth and nail to get a title shot.
“Not everyone gets that honest shake. It is what it is.
“Before 145 I thought it should have been Movsar,” said Sterling about the next title shot of featherweight.
Aljamain Sterling wanted to fight on UFC 316 next to Merab Dvalishvili
As far as Sterling has done in the featherweight division, the former champion says that he was fighting Patricio Pitbull earlier this year.
Sterling refused to fight Pitbull in February on a five -week notice period. At the time, Sterling was in Miami and promoted his 'Funk Harbor' company.
Then Sterling asked the UFC if he could fight with teammate Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey – the same place where he defended his title against Henry Cejudo on UFC 288 and where he was confronted with Sean O'Malley for the first time.
“I asked for this card,” said Sterling about UFC 316.
“I didn't get a March, I didn't get April. I sent an SMS, hey can I come on the New Jersey card with Merab?
“I thought it would happen and I don't know what the F- [happened].
Sterling, still arranged in the featherweight top 10, says that he would like to fight against former title challengers Diego Lopes or Brian Ortega.