'Funkmaster' recently made the move a weight class after achieving great success in the Bantam weight division.
After a dominant featherweight debut at UFC 300, Aljamain Sterling was defeated by Movsar Evloev last time -out on UFC 310 in December.
Although Sterling has suggested with retirement, it seems that the former champion of 135 pounds will linger a little longer.
One thing that we know for sure is that he has no plans to return to his former weight class after the struggles he went through to compete with Bantam weight.
Sterling has already mentioned Arnold Allen as a potential next opponent, because he wants to get back on the right track in the near future.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Aljamain Sterling says that Henry Cejudo fight was the heaviest weight movement he experienced
After losing the Bantamweight title to Sean O'Malley on UFC 292, Aljamain Sterling made the decision to go to featherweight.
This not only meant that he would not stand in the way of his teammate and the current champion, Merab Dvalishvili, Sterling was always planning to make the switch sooner or later.
'Funkmaster' was always big for 135 pounds, but that only made his uncomfortable striking style and excellent back control even more difficult for opponents to overcome.
However, this size advantage also came with negatives, because Sterling brought himself through difficult weight reductions that would certainly have influenced his sustainability on Fight Night.
After his back-to-back battles with Petr Yan, the new Bantamweight champion faced TJ Dillashaw in a successful first defense.
UFC 288 brought another former 135 pound champion back to the Octagon when Sterling Henry Cejudo defeated a split decision to refuse 'Triple C' a fairy-tale return.
In a recent position on social media, he revealed that he continued his heaviest Bantam weight, on his way to the fight with his health as a serious care.
“Henry Cejudo fight was terrible. Never felt so close to the hospital “
Aljamain Sterling is exactly in the mix of featherweight
Leaving Bantamweight was a big call for Aljamain Sterling, but as the #9-ranked competition in the division, he is very much in the mix of the featherweight.
His UFC 310 fight with Movsar Evloev was a close fight and with the unbeaten Russian probably the winner of the upcoming empty title fight on UFC 314, this will not have hurt his stock too badly.
Now that Ilia Topuria has now disappeared from the division, there are great opportunities for the featherweights to really put together a run and try to prove themselves as the best.
Sterling's family tree championship means that he is still very much in the conversation and he is probably only two victories away from a new shot at UFC Gold.
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