LAS VEGAS – Aljamain Sterling has much to be excited about ahead of his move to featherweight at UFC 300, including the potential to jump the line for a title shot.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Sterling (23-4 MMA, 15-4 UFC) faces Calvin Kattar on the preliminary portion of the ultra-stacked UFC 300 card at T-Mobile Arena. The matchup against Kattar (23-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC) is an opportunity for Sterling to establish himself as a title contender quickly.
Sterling was always a big bantamweight and has often spoken about the difficulty of making championship weight at 135 pounds. With that chapter behind him, his story continues with many questions about the challenges that await in the featherweight division.
“The Funk Master” believes he and his team have prepared properly by sparring with numerous high-level featherweights. In addition, Sterling is excited about the potential to show more of his game now that he won’t be as concerned about managing his energy due to a severe weight cut.
“We’ve gotten a lot of good matchups in the training room, a lot of good feedback,” Sterling said. “I think all-in-all we’ve been doing some really good stuff. I’m proud of the work we’ve put in, and I just got to go out there and perform. I think if I do that, the best version of myself shows up.
“I really always talked about this at ’35, but I was a little bit more green back then. There’s a lot that I feel like I haven’t been able to show in the octagon just because of energy consumption, the weight cut. I think now we’re going to get to see more of the flashy stuff and get back to the real funk.”
A win over the UFC-ranked No. 8 featherweight in his divisional debut could mean big things for Sterling’s immediate future. So much so that, depending on how things unfold at UFC 300, he believes an opportunity could be there to jump the line straight into a title shot.
Former titleholder Max Holloway faces Justin Gaethje for the BMF title, and a victory for the Hawaiian could open the door for an unlikely challenger to face champ Ilia Topuria.
“I think so,” Sterling said when asked if it is possible to skip the line for a featherweight title shot. “I think if Max goes out there and he wins, I go out there and I win, and I look good doing it – Ilia Topuria already said what he said. He says there’s no challengers, so why not just skip the line instead of getting in a tough gauntlet of a queue.
“The UFC, they do what they want, right? So if they offer you a title fight, you’d be kind of crazy to tell them no. So, if I go out there do my job, I look good on a huge, massive card, the rest will take care of itself.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.
UFC 300’s Aljamain Sterling sees featherweight title shot potential with win over Calvin Kattar