Aljamain Sterling claims UFC 300 win will catapult him past featherweight queue to challenge Alexander Volkanovski for 145-pound title
Aljamain Sterling is set to make his return to the octagon at UFC 300 as he faces Calvin Kattar in a featherweight bout. The former bantamweight champion recently revealed that he believes a victory could give him the opportunity to be the next fighter to challenge Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour, 'Funk Master' stated:
"I want to fight the biggest and baddest dudes. Look, at the end of the day, I think that's what matters the most. How many of those guys were you actually able to beat? How did those fights look? What was your strategy like? My skillset versus his skillset so there's a lot that goes into it and that was the fight that made the most sense to me. He's the highest ranked out of the four that they offered."
Sterling continued:
"I know that if I beat him the way that I think I'm capable of doing, I think I'm right next in line for a title shot. I don't think that's too far-fetched of a thing. I mean, you look at the guys at the top that already fought for the belt, if Volkanovski wins again, I think the door is wide open."
Check out Aljamain Sterling's comments on challenging Alexander Volkanovski below:
Sterling noted that, despite Movsar Evloev's undefeated record and top-five ranking, UFC President and CEO Dana White was less than impressed with his victory over Arnold Allen. 'Funk Master' holds the bantamweight division record for most consecutive title defenses, most wins, and longest win streak.
UFC 300, however, will mark just the second time in his mixed martial arts career, and the first time since joining the UFC, that he has competed at 145 pounds.
Aljamain Sterling believes Sean Strickland defeated Dricus du Plessis
Dricus du Plessis captured the middleweight title as he defeated Sean Strickland via split decision at UFC 297. Aljamain Sterling recently revealed that he believes 'Tarzan' should have retained his title, stating:
"Here's my takeaway. Round one, Sean Strickland. Round five, Sean Strickland. Round four, du Plessis. I think if you can make the argument for round three that that's du Plessis' round. I just think he did a little bit more. I thought Sean won rounds one, two and five. He should've retained it. Or you make the argument that it's a draw and they've got to run it back."
Check out Aljamain Sterling's comments on Sean Strickland vs. Dricus du Plessis below:
While Sterling believes that Strickland won round two, all three judges awarded the round to Du Plessis. The third round ended up being the only round in which all three judges did not agree on the result, with two awarding it to the challenger and one to the champion.
Check out the official UFC 297 scorecard below: