Volkanovski Says Sterling Can Jump Silva For Title Shot

Alexander Volkanovski believes Aljamain Sterling could move past Jean Silva in the featherweight title picture with a win over Kevin Vallejos at UFC Qatar on Nov. 21.

The reigning 145-pound champion told Ariel Helwani that Sterling would have a stronger claim to the next shot than Silva if he gets his hand raised in Doha. "When we're talking about who deserves it more, I'm gonna say Aljo," Volkanovski said, per Sherdog. "Especially after another win, taking a fight against a dangerous guy like Kevin."

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Sterling's Path After Dropping Bantamweight Belt

Sterling moved up from bantamweight after losing his title to Sean O'Malley and has gone 3-1 at featherweight. He stopped Calvin Kattar in his divisional debut, dropped a decision to Movsar Evloev, then rebounded with wins over Brian Ortega and Youssef Zalal. Silva holds a 7-1 UFC record with six finishes, his lone loss coming against Diego Lopes.

Volkanovski retained his belt against Evloev at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi, stopping the previously unbeaten Russian in the second round. The champion said Silva remains in a strong position but should wait to see how Sterling fares in Qatar. "If Aljo loses, then I think it's just Jean," Volkanovsky added.

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Sterling and Vallejos square off at UFC Qatar on Nov. 21.

Photo: The White House / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Original reporting:

• sherdog.com — Alexander Volkanovski says Aljamain Sterling can jump ahead of Jean Silva