Aljamain Sterling may have lost a unanimous decision to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310, but the 'Funk Master' can still hold his head high after an exciting match.
As the former bantamweight champion plots his next move, there are two big names just above him in the rankings that Sterling would like to face in his return fight.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Aljamain Sterling names the two UFC featherweights he would like to fight next
In the aftermath of UFC 310, Aljamain Sterling would first call for an immediate rematch against Movsar Evloev; however, it is highly unlikely that the promotion will opt to reverse this, especially with the undefeated Russian sitting five places above him in the rankings.
So, when could we see the 'Funk Master' back in the octagon, and who could face the former bantamweight champion in his return fight?
Well, after taking only a minimal amount of damage at UFC 310, Aljamain Sterling told Home of Fight that he plans to return in the first quarter of 2025 – adding that he already has two names in mind.
'I don't know, I think I'd like to make a march [2025] back – if I get a fight before March, April at the latest… I mean, I would love to fight Arnold Allen or Brian Ortega.
“I think a return in March would be nice. I want to stay busy and especially while I still can, with being healthy after the fight, so I want to take advantage of that.”
If Sterling were to choose to face Arnold Allen next, it could take place on the UFC London card – which happens to take place on March 22, 2025 at the O2 Arena.
“He's coming off a win and I'm coming off a loss, so I think it would be fair [to do it in the UK] …I'd be more than willing to play spoiler, and I love the British fans, they're a great support system for me, they tune in and watch the fights.
“I always get a lot of DMs and tweets from those guys. It would be a bit s*** to fight one of their own, but sometimes that's what you have to do in this game.”
On the other hand, Brian Ortega proves the “name value” and upward trajectory that Sterling is looking for: “Styles, name value, and of course he's ranked higher than me.
“If Brian Ortega was ranked lower than me, I wouldn't even bother taking him out because that wouldn't make any sense… But since these guys are ranked higher than me, I would like for the rankings fighting and wanting to put myself on the rankings. position where I could get back into title contention… That's all I really care about.”
After the final event of 2024, UFC Fight Night: Covington vs Buckley, the Top 10 Featherweight Rankings are as follows.
- C – Ilia Topuria
- 1 – Alexander Volkanovsky
- 2 – Max Holloway
- 3 – Diego Lopes
- 4 – Movsar Evloev
- 5 – Yair Rodriguez
- 6 – Brian Ortega
- 7 – Arnold Allen
- 8 – Josh Emmett
- 9 – Aljamain Sterling
- 10 – Calvin Katter
Who do you think Aljamain Sterling should fight next?
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