After 23 UFC bouts, Aljamain Sterling's 18-5 record places him third in winning percentage behind only Jon Jones (22-1) and Donald Cerrone (19-4 at that stage). Sterling's win rate surpasses legendary fighters including Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland, Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, Anderson Silva, Demian Maia, Chuck Liddell, and Junior dos Santos after the same number of fights. The analysis argues Sterling deserves recognition as an elite fighter based on his championship run at bantamweight, victories over top opponents like Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo, and continued success at featherweight despite being past his prime. With recent wins over ranked opponents at 145 pounds and only a loss to top contender Movsar Evloev, Sterling is positioned one win away from potential greatness and two wins from legend status.
Aljamain Sterling's UFC career has earned him a place in rare statistical company, with an analysis of win rates after 23 fights positioning the former bantamweight champion third all-time behind only Jon Jones and Donald Cerrone at the same stage of their careers.
The analysis compares Sterling's 18-5 UFC record across 23 bouts to Jones and Cerrone's marks at that identical checkpoint. Jones, now 38 and sitting at 28-1 overall, posted a 22-1 record through his first 23 UFC appearances. Cerrone, the 43-year-old veteran currently at 36-17, went 19-4 across his first 23 outings. Sterling's 18-5 mark slots in directly behind both legends, ahead of a list that includes Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland, Jose Aldo, Max Holloway, Anderson Silva, Demian Maia, Chuck Liddell, and Junior dos Santos at the same career point.
The case for Sterling's elite status rests largely on his bantamweight championship run, which included wins over Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo. Cejudo, the 39-year-old American known as "Triple C," is currently ranked ninth at bantamweight with a 16-6 record, making that victory a significant career-defining moment. Sterling has since moved to featherweight, where recent wins over ranked opponents have continued to build his ledger despite a loss to top contender Movsar Evloev.
Why it matters
- Sterling's win-rate ranking places him statistically above several Hall of Fame-level fighters at the same career stage
- His continued success at featherweight extends the argument beyond his bantamweight peak
- The analysis suggests he sits one win from a potential greatness threshold and two from a legacy-defining mark
- Recognition debates like this one shape how current champions and contenders are framed historically
