Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling revealed he was considering retirement if he had lost his fight against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300, but after dominating the match, he now feels confident in his move up to the 145-pound weight class and is considering Brian Ortega as his next opponent.
Aljamain Sterling was a bundle of nerves stepping into UFC 300. He was a former UFC bantamweight champion, already a legend at 135 pounds. His title run had set records, but Saturday’s event was a whole new beast.
Sterling was still smarting from his first defeat since 2017. His match with Calvin Kattar was a step into the unknown, a new chapter at 145 pounds.
“Fight day in the back room, I started doubting everything,” Sterling confessed on The MMA Hour. He was plagued with thoughts like, “What if this goes south? Where do I go from here? Do I keep fighting? Or just hang up my gloves?” These were real fears.
Sterling wasn’t there just for the paycheck. He saw other fighters who were, and while he respected them, he was there to be number one.
“If I’m just part of the pack? I’ve made enough money. I’ve done enough in my career. Maybe it’s time for a new job,” he mused. To him, if you’re not first, you’re last.
Sterling, now 34, had suffered a knockout loss to Sean O’Malley in August. That ended a streak of nine consecutive UFC victories from 2018-23 and three title defenses as the bantamweight champion. This loss, plus wanting to clear the way for his friend and teammate Merab Dvalishvili, led Sterling to move up to 145 pounds.
But the “Funk Master” admitted there was more at stake in his featherweight experiment than anyone knew. Retirement was a real possibility.
“It depends on how it would’ve happened,” Sterling said. “If I had got my ass completely kicked by Calvin Kattar, I was probably done.” He hadn’t shared these feelings with anyone, not even his fiancée.
He had hinted at it, saying, “Well, if I can’t beat him, I don’t know,” but didn’t elaborate. He kept it vague with everyone.
Internally, he thought, “This guy is good, but if I’m claiming to be who I think I am and who I want to be, I should be able to beat a guy like this. If I can’t, then how am I ever going to expect to beat the guy who’s sitting on top of the throne right now?”
But Sterling dodged that bullet. He dominated Kattar, sweeping the judges’ scorecards and thrusting himself into the featherweight conversation.
Making the 135-pound limit had been a struggle for years. The cut to 145 pounds was still tough. He was 163 pounds on fight day, which surprised him. He thought it would be easier. But once he was in the cage with Kattar, feeling his power at the heavier weight, his fears about competing at 145 pounds evaporated.
“After that first round, I had the confidence like, ‘Oh s***, I actually do belong here. This is where I should’ve been the entire time,’” Sterling said. He felt the speed and strength difference. The height difference was negligible. He out-struck Kattar on the feet.
“I was really scared about this guy, and to go out there and do what I did, I think it shows a lot. I didn’t just scrape a win. I dominated from beginning to end.”
Sterling is now in the thick of things at 145 pounds. One name often mentioned for his potential next opponent after UFC 300 is Movsar Evloev, the undefeated grappling specialist.
Sterling doesn’t mind the idea of fighting Evloev, but he has another name in mind.
“I would actually rather [have] the [Brian] Ortega fight,” Sterling said. “I’m gunning for the belt. So if there’s a fight for me, [if] you’re going to give me the option to pick, I’m going to pick the highest ranked guy.”
He believes that beating the highest ranked guy would remove all doubt. The fight with Movsar could be fun, but the Ortega fight would be just as entertaining.
“I’ve got the wrestling, he’s got some good solid striking, I think I’ve got some decent striking, and we’re both pretty solid on the ground with jiu-jitsu,” Sterling said. He believes that would make for a great opportunity for a lot of good scrambles and a lot of good grappling exchanges.
“I think that would be a cool fight for people to kind of engage in and see where the fight actually takes place, because maybe it might take place standing up.”