'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Aljamain Sterling may be realizing that his path to a featherweight title could get more complicated than he initially anticipated.
Like most members of the MMA community, Sterling has kept his eye on the budding rivalry between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway. In the latest development in the feud, Topuria tweeted a long message to Holloway, claiming that he would only fight the former champion if the BMF title is on the line. If not, he would prefer to face Brian Ortega.
Reacting to the post with just two words, Sterling wrote:
"Well damn"
Topuria was called out by Holloway at UFC 300, with "Blessed" using his post-fight Octagon interview time to declare his desire to reclaim his old title. The callout came just minutes after the Hawaiian knocked out Justin Gaethje in the final second of the BMF title fight.
After dominating Calvin Kattar in his featherweight debut, Sterling named Ortega as the fighter he would like to face next. Ortega reciprocated the callout on X but stated that he would need to communicate with his manager.
Ortega re-entered the 145-pound title picture with a comeback win over Yair Rodriguez at UFC Mexico City. The third-round submission marked the first win for "T-City" since October 2020.
Who will Aljamain Sterling fight next?
In pursuit of becoming the 10th fighter in UFC history to hold a belt in two divisions, Aljamain Sterling is intent on fighting his way through the featherweight division en route to gold. While Sterling named Brian Ortega as the fighter he would like to face next, the proposed matchup is far from set in stone.
Sterling first mentioned Ortega as the fight he wants in his post-fight media presser, a callout that the California native reciprocated. "The Funk Master" pointed to both fighters' grappling-heavy fight styles as the reason for his intrigue.
Unlike his situation at bantamweight with Merab Dvalishvili, Sterling does not have a connection to any featherweight currently within the UFC rankings, thus opening up his options.
In his recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Sterling mentioned that a return in late 2024 would be ideal for him against any top-five featherweight.
