Daniel Cormier does not advise Aljamain Sterling to fight Max Holloway at featherweight.
Sterling (23-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) has tussled with the idea of a potential move to 145 pounds – even though he just lost the bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in August.
If he were to move up a weight class, Sterling sees former champion Holloway (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) as his perfect ticket to a title shot.
“A fight with Holloway definitely interests me because if I could beat him, I think I’m consensually the No. 1 contender or next title challenger at 145,” Sterling said in a recent Q&A on his YouTube channel. “That would be ideal. It’ll be interesting to see how I do at that weight class, having the extra weight, not doing that severe of a dehydration weight cut, and then see if my cardio goes back to where it is in the room.”
MMA analyst Chael Sonnen loves the idea of the matchup, but Cormier – not so much. He thinks if Sterling had range issues vs. the taller O’Malley, it would go even worse for him against Holloway.
“I love Max, that’s my brother, and Aljamain Sterling is my brother, too,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “DC & RC.” “I don’t want to see them do this fight, but I also don’t want to see them do this fight because Max is too big for Aljamain Sterling. If Aljamain struggled with Sean O’Malley’s size, he would be in some real, deep trouble with Max Holloway. Yeah, I tap out on that one. It’s not a great look for ‘The Funkmaster.’”
Holloway is coming off a knockout win over Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night 225 in August. His only losses in the past decade have come to UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who beat him three times.
