Aljamain Sterling is getting married immediately after the next title defense of Merab Dvalishvili.
Before the Georgian teammate Dvalishvili took the throne in 2024, Aljamain Sterling was the reigning, defending UFC Bantamweight champion in the world.
Sterling and Dvalishvili have never fought against each other in the UFC, retained their friendship instead. Sterling packed his bags and moved to the featherweight division after a title loss for Sean O'Malley in 2023 – Die Dvalishvili waddled twice in title fights.
Former champion Sterling will return to former title-seconder Brian Ortega on August 23 in the Co-Main event of UFC Shanghai.
Together with his fight, Sterling set his wedding date on 5 October, the day after Dvalishvili defends his title against Cory Sandhagen on UFC 320 in Las Vegas.
Sterling has invited a number of UFC hunters for the ceremony, including his greatest rival.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty images
Aljamain Sterling invited the former foe Petr Yan for his wedding
Sterling, one of the largest Bantam weights of all time, has only fought one Rematch in his entire career and that was against Petr Yan.
The former dual UFC Bantamweight champion was on its way to beat Sterling in their first fight on UFC 259 in 2021, but everything changed when Yan threw an illegal knee at a grounded sterling, him disqualification after Sterling could not continue.
Sterling is the only hunter in the UFC history that wins the title through disqualification.
Months later and an interim title created in his absence, Sterling released himself in a title Unification Bout against Yan, and defeated him in a close division at UFC 273 in a Rematch 2022.
Despite their history in the Octagon, Sterling invited the recently victorious Yan for his upcoming wedding.
“I said, brother, come to the wedding,” confirmed Sterling on his YouTube channel.
“He said, when I'm in the United States, I'll come,” said Sterling about Yan.
Yan will probably be in Las Vegas on UFC 320, especially if he is chosen as the backup hunter for Dvalishvili vs. Sandhagen.
Aljamain Sterling to invite Dana White, UFC Matchmakers for Wedding
Sterling's two -time rival Yan is not the only hunter on the wedding guest list.
The former champion says that his ceremony is starting to feel like a UFC event with the people he invites.
“We already have Iaquinta, possibly Mike Perry, maybe Chris Weidman,” said Sterling.
“I think Jamahal Hill is going up. We have ode [Osbourne] get through. We have Naz [Nazim Sadykhov]. We have Charlie Campbell …
“It is currently just a large A – UFC event,” Sterling continued.
“We're going to invite the matchmakers. I'm going to invite Hunter Campbell. I'm going to invite Dana White. Hopefully Dana puts it on his tab and then we just go crazy for the night …
“These are some films,” said Sterling about his wedding that took place on the day after the defending defense of Dvalishvili.