In Las Vegas, Aljamain Sterling made a successful debut in the UFC featherweight division and is now aiming for the top spot in the weight class.
Sterling (24-4 MMA, 16-4 UFC) called out Brian Ortega, a former title contender and a highly regarded fighter, after his impressive win against Calvin Kattar (23-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) at UFC 300. Sterling’s dominant performance earned him a decision victory during the event’s preliminaries and now he is looking to ascend towards a UFC championship.
“I’m ready to face the next top contender,” Sterling expressed during the post-fight press conference at UFC 300. “I have respect for Brian Ortega. We have trained together once, share the same management team, and come from a similar background in the sport. Although he’s not my main training partner like Merab, I see him as someone to pursue. I truly believe I have what it takes to defeat a fighter like him.”
Ortega recently secured a submission win against Yair Rodriguez in his comeback fight in February after recovering from a shoulder injury. Sterling commended Ortega’s toughness in that bout and is intrigued by a potential clash between them.
Reflecting on his victorious debut at 145 pounds, Sterling acknowledged the job done but felt there is room for improvement in his performance.
“I was somewhat critical of my performance this time because if you aim to defeat someone like Ilya, you have to overcome opponents like Kattar,” Sterling explained. “Kattar was well-prepared to counter my ground game moves, which left me a bit disappointed. It made me think, ‘If I struggled against him, how will I fare against tougher opponents?’ This is how I view my journey towards challenging for a world title again.”
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