"Which is why I also asked for Ortega" - Aljamain Sterling reacts to surging featherweight claiming a fight against 'Funk Master' makes "no sense"
Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling strives to capture the attention of his peers in his new weight class. For that, he has identified the perfect matchup. Yet, the potential opponent in the discussion isn't quite sold on the idea.
Sterling called out surging featherweight prospect Diego Lopes following the Brazilian's victory over Dan Ige at UFC 303. Lopes initially stepped in on short notice to take on Brian Ortega. The matchup underwent a weight class change and eventual collapse after Ortega pulled out of the fight. Lopes ended up fighting Ige, who stepped in on hours’ notice as his new opponent.
Addressing the callouts from Sterling and No.5-ranked contender Movsar Evloev in an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Lopes asserted that the matchups don't make sense considering he was already scheduled to take on No.3-ranked contender Ortega. Moreover, he claimed that the UFC has guaranteed him a fight against a top-five-ranked fighter, fortifying his stance to avoid the Sterling fight.
Check out Lopes' comments below:
The 29-year-old's comments seemingly corresponded with Sterling's views. 'Funk Master' took to X to address Lopes' comments, writing:
"Makes sense. Which is why I also asked for Ortega. But I’ll take the next highest-ranked guy, but with proper time to prepare. No excuses and let the better man win."
Check out Sterling's comments below:
Aljamain Sterling and a top-ranked featherweight contender go back and forth on X
Aljamain Sterling has been calling out for a fight against undefeated prospect Movsar Evloev ever since his successful featherweight debut against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300.
While there has been no hesitation on their part to fight, there seems to be some confusion regarding the timeline for the potential fight. Evloev claims that the UFC has "confirmed" for a prospective five-round clash in August. However, Sterling asserts that he has been asking for a fight in September for the longest time.
Check out the exchange below:
Sterling asserted unmistakably yet again that he wants the fight in September, while also dispatching a fierce challenge. He wrote:
"Jesus man... What is wrong with your ears bredren??? I said September. For the 4th, maybe the 5th time, if you don’t want to wait, then move on. Simple. Stop complicating this."
"You talk a lot for someone that pulls out of fights and then fights the way you do. I will make you remember these words when I make you my b*tch, while you’re trying to hold onto my legs."
Check out the tweets below: