Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling picked up his second win as a featherweight at UFC Shanghai on Saturday. “Funk Master” logged a one-sided unanimous decision win over former featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega.
During his post-fight interview, Sterling called for a title shot and believes his career accolades make him deserving.
“I think I’ve done enough in this game. I’ve been around the block. I defended my belt the most in bantamweight history. I believe that I’m tied for the most bantamweight wins in the UFC,” Sterling said.
“I came to featherweight. I think I did my damn thing against a really tough dude who fought for the belt twice,” continued Sterling. “Respect. Volkanovski is the f**king man, but I’d love an opportunity to fight for the belt again.”
Aljamain Sterling UFC Shanghai Octagon Interview
Sterling moved to the featherweight division after losing the 135-pound title to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in August 2023. Eight months later, he made the walk to the octagon as a featherweight against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300.
Sterling was defeated in his second featherweight showing, losing to Movsar Evloev via unanimous decision at UFC 310. With the dominating win over the No. 5 ranked Ortega, Sterling placed himself in title contention.
