LAS VEGAS – After a successful UFC featherweight debut, Aljamain Sterling is ready to take on the very top of the division.
Sterling (24-4 MMA, 16-4 UFC) called out former title challenger and long-time contender Brian Ortega after his win at Saturday’s UFC 300. Sterling defeated Calvin Kattar (23-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in a dominant decision win in the preliminary portion of the event, and he’s ready to take a step-up that will lead him to UFC gold.
“Give me the next best guy,” Sterling said at the UFC 300 post-fight press conference. “I’ll take Brian Ortega respectfully. He’s a guy I got to train with one time, same management, there’s no bad blood or anything like that. We’re both just trying to chase the same thing. It’s not like he’s my main training partner like Merab was. It’s a different situation.
“I think I beat a guy like him, and I’m undeniable.”
Ortega is coming off a submission win over Yair Rodriguez in February. That was his first fight back since his shoulder injury. Sterling was impressed with Ortega’s resilience in the bout, and likes the way they’d match up.
As far as his debut win at 145 pounds, Sterling got the job done, but wasn’t entirely happy. He believes there’s plenty of room to improve.
“This performance I got a little down on myself because if I want o beat a guy like Ilia, I need to be able to finish a guy like Kattar,” Sterling said. “As well-prepared as he was to defend some stuff on the ground, I was a little sad about it. I was like, ‘Man, if I can’t do certain things to him, then how the hell am I going to do things to a guy like that?’ You know, if I want to challenge for a world title again. That’s the way I kind of look at things.”
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