Aljamain Sterling Plans UFC Return in April; Eyes A Title Shot

Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling is looking to return in April.
Sterling has plenty to prove coming into 2025. He has lost two of his last three fights, including his last bout against Movsar Evloev at UFC 310. That was his first defeat since his move up to featherweight. He also lost his bantamweight belt to Sean O’Malley in 2023 at UFC 292. That has left serious question marks over Sterling’s future. He was hopeful of putting a run together which would have put him in a position to face Ilia Topuria.
The latter is the current UFC Featherweight Champion. Topuria stopped Max Holloway in his last fight at UFC 308 to solidify his position as one of the best fighters in the UFC. Sterling is currently ranked ninth in the featherweight division, meaning he still has some way to go before he is considered a leading contender. But he shut down any suggestions he lost to Evloev, even after having rewatched the fight. That was his position when he result was called too.
Sterling’s Mindset
“Tough fight…I thought I might’ve edged it out against a tough opponent, but we came up short. Thank you all for the love and support and I hope the performance was a fun one for you all to watch. Movsar is a beast, I showed where I belong in this division. For now, we decompress and heal up, then get ready to climb the ladder again. The dream doesn’t stop unless you give up! I’ll be back,” Sterling stated
“A lot of fans don’t think I lost that fight. I watched it back a couple times now, and I still don’t think I lost the fight. Obviously, the judges are the judge, so whatever they say is going to stay in the history books. I would love to run it back with him,” Sterling added
Sterling’s Return
But he is not letting that get to him. Sterling outlined his ideal next few opponents. He has named Arnold Allen and Brian Ortega. Both of those fighters are ranked higher than him. Allen is seventh, but he has only won a single fight in his last three bouts. Meanwhile, Ortega is ranked sixth. Ortega is also not in the best form. He has one victory in his last four. Sterling may fancy his chances against them, knowing a win takes him closer to a title shot. He was confident that he was not too far away from that.
“If not [a rematch with Movsar Evloev], maybe fight Arnold Allen, Brian Ortega.I’d say (I’m) maybe one or two fights away [from featherweight title shot]. So, it just really depends on the landscape, how I look in the fight, what Topuria’s going to do. If he’s going to vacate, then that puts two new challengers to fight for a vacated belt. So, it really depends. “I don’t really know what’s going to happen in the future, but I’m patiently waiting. Hopefully, I can make my return in April. Maybe fight again in August or September, and get ready to go,” Sterling revealed.
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