Aljamain Sterling stated his championship ambitions following his victory at UFC Vegas 116. Sterling acknowledged that Movsar Evloev deserves a title shot, but he would not turn down the opportunity if it presents itself. The post includes a poll asking whether Sterling deserves a fight with Alex Pereira. Sterling's comments suggest he is positioning himself for a potential title eliminator or championship bout while respecting the existing contender landscape.
Aljamain "Funk Master" Sterling made clear his championship intentions following his victory at UFC Vegas 116 on April 26, while stopping short of dismissing the claims of the division's top-ranked contender.
Sterling, 36, carries a 26-5 record and currently sits fourth in the featherweight rankings. The Serra-Longo Fight Team product has moved up to 145 pounds and established himself as a credible contender, landing 4.45 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy while adding 2.45 takedowns per 15 minutes to his offensive arsenal. In his post-fight comments, Sterling acknowledged that Movsar Evloev deserves a title shot, but made it known he would not pass on the opportunity if it came his way first.
Evloev, the number-one ranked featherweight contender, enters the conversation as the division's most compelling case for a championship fight. The 32-year-old Russian, who trains out of American Top Team, owns a perfect 20-0 professional record. Operating from an orthodox stance at 170 cm with a 72-inch reach, Evloev pressures opponents with 3.91 significant strikes per minute and a smothering grappling attack that produces 4.78 takedown attempts per 15 minutes.
The man both fighters are chasing is light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira, the Brazilian known as "Poatan." The 38-year-old holds a 13-4 record and connects on a remarkable 62 percent of his significant strikes, landing 5.16 per minute. At six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach, Pereira presents a substantial physical challenge for any featherweight contender making the step up.
Why it matters
- Sterling's win keeps him firmly in the featherweight title conversation despite sitting fourth in the rankings
- Evloev's perfect record and top ranking make him the division's clearest number-one contender, creating a potential collision course with Sterling
- A Sterling-Evloev eliminator would logically determine the next challenger for Pereira's throne
- Sterling's willingness to acknowledge Evloev's claim while asserting his own ambitions signals the featherweight division's contender picture is far from settled
