Aljamain
Sterling wants to fight Jean Silva
to determine the next challenger for
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight gold.
Silva submitted Jose
Delgado in the third round of the main event of
Noche UFC 4, then called for a shot at the winner of the
upcoming Alexander
Volkanovski vs. Movsar
Evloev championship bout set to headline
UFC 333. Sterling, however, believes Silva needs to go through
him if he wants a title shot.
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Aljamain Sterling proposes December showdown with Jean Silva in
UFC featherweight title race
Sterling, who has won his last bouts, had initially suggested a
November matchup with Silva at Madison Square Garden. The former
bantamweight champ is also open to fighting “Lord” in December, so
the latter has ample time to heal and prepare.
“Even if it’s a Fight Night, I don’t give a f*ck,” Sterling said on
his YouTube channel. “December, run that sh*t. Run that sh*t. Run
that sh*t. All I’m saying is, I want to give him the fair
opportunity to heal, be ready, be the best version of himself, and
I would love to have that fight. I want to fight the fights that
make the most sense; the biggest names, the fights that get me
somewhere. Not just taking random fights just to say I fought this
guy. Bro, I don’t give a f*ck. I’m 37. It’s time to sh*t or get off
the pot.”
Sterling also believes the timing works well for the division,
particularly with Volkanovski and Evloev scheduled to collide in
October.
“So, the most common-sense thing, in my personal opinion, is to let
us figure it out and see who wins,” Sterling added. “We both stay
busy, stay active and get a clear-cut No. 1 contender for the
title. I know they had the ‘Beware of Dog’ signs, but I got
something for that. I like to think my style is the ultimate
equalizer. Just like they talk about power, I got something
else.”
Sterling is coming off wins over Brian
Ortega and Youssef
Zalal. He’s now 3-1 since moving up to the featherweight
division, with his lone defeat at 145 pounds coming in a Fight of
the Night against Evloev in 2024.