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This past weekend saw Aljamain Sterling produce a truly impressive performance to defend his UFC bantamweight gold against former titleholder Petr Yan.
After his win over Petr Yan, Aljamain Sterling is undoubtedly the top bantamweight in the UFC, but he still doesn’t feel like a truly invincible champion.
With the bantamweight division being one of the more loaded that the promotion has to offer right now, there are a number of fighters that an observer could argue might be able to take the title away from ‘Funk Master’.
With that in mind, here are five UFC bantamweights who could dethrone Sterling.
#5. Merab Dvalishvili vs. Aljamain Sterling
One fighter who may well stand a strong chance of dethroning Sterling is current No.6-ranked bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili.
‘The Machine’ has not fought since a stirring TKO victory over Marlon Moraes in September. Right now, he’s on a seven-fight win streak and looks like a surefire future title contender.
What would make the native of Georgia so dangerous to Sterling is his powerful wrestling game. ‘Funk Master’ is an excellent wrestler in his own right, having competed as a two-time NCAA Division I All-American in his collegiate days, but could he fend off the takedowns of ‘The Machine’?
Given that Dvalishvili has delivered the most takedowns in the history of the UFC bantamweight division – 50 compared to Sterling’s 23 – it’s definitely a fair question to ask.
With ‘Funk Master’ seeming to struggle when he was grounded by Petr Yan, quite how well he’d operate off his back against someone like ‘The Machine’ is probably questionable too.
Admittedly, it's questionable that Dvalishvili would push for a bout with Sterling, as 'The Machine' has claimed he'd never be willing to meet his training partner in the octagon due to their friendship.
However, many such friendships have been broken over the years in the octagon and if both men keep winning, then a clash between the two with UFC gold on the line may become inevitable.
Right now, if these two fighters were to meet, Sterling would have to be given the edge based on his championship experience, submission skills and striking ability, but there’s no disputing that Dvalishvili might stand a decent chance of dethroning him.
#4. Jose Aldo vs. Aljamain Sterling
While it’s probably fair to suggest that at the age of 35, Jose Aldo’s best days might be behind him now, it’s also hard to deny that in his most recent fights, he’s shown that he may have a lot left in the tank to offer.
The former UFC featherweight kingpin is currently on a three-fight win streak, with victories over Marlon Vera, Pedro Munhoz and Rob Font. He’s ranked at No.3 in the 135-pound division, behind only T.J. Dillashaw and Petr Yan.
So would the Brazilian legend stand a chance against Aljamain Sterling if the two were to square off in the octagon? Stylistically, at least, there’s a chance that he could offer a very genuine threat to ‘Funk Master’.
Aldo’s defensive wrestling has always been one of his biggest strengths and his takedown defense of 90% is still remarkably impressive, especially when you consider he’s been competing in the UFC since early 2011.
If Sterling couldn’t find a way to take him down, could Aldo outgun the champ standing? There’d be a high possibility that he could do so. The Brazilian still has some of the most dangerous striking in the division, and his leg kicks and sweeping combinations are second-to-none even now.
Overall then, despite Aldo’s advanced age and the fact that he was defeated by Yan comprehensively when they fought, stylistically, he’d definitely stand a good chance of dethroning Sterling if they were to fight.
#3. Dominick Cruz vs. Aljamain Sterling
Like Jose Aldo, it’s probably fair to say that Dominick Cruz’s best years are behind him at this point. ‘The Dominator’ is now 37 years old and has suffered a seemingly un-ending list of serious injuries over his decade-long career with the UFC.
However, Cruz is still a very viable contender in the bantamweight division right now. He’s coming off two straight victories and looked like he’d turned back the clock in his most recent victory over Pedro Munhoz in December.
Cruz probably has a long way to go before he earns a shot at UFC bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling – he’d most likely need to win at least two more fights – but if he did find himself faced with ‘Funk Master’, would he stand a chance?
The answer is probably yes, from a stylistic standpoint, at least. Cruz has always had a remarkably strong takedown defense, meaning Sterling would be unlikely to take him down or run a grappling clinic on him if he could put him on his back.
On the feet, meanwhile, ‘The Dominator’ is more hittable than he was in his prime, but he’s still an excellent, tricky and unorthodox striker. More to the point, Sterling has never displayed the kind of one-shot knockout power that could take Cruz out.
Basically, while Cruz might be past his prime, there’d still be an off-chance that he could pick Sterling apart on the feet if the two men were to meet, meaning he’d stand as good a chance at dethroning the champ as anyone right now.
#2. Henry Cejudo vs. Aljamain Sterling
While he’s seemingly focused on making a run at the UFC’s featherweight division, namely champion Alexander Volkanovski, upon his return, it’s safe to say that former UFC bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo might stand a chance of beating Aljamain Sterling if the two were to meet.
Prior to his departure from the promotion in 2020, Cejudo reigned over the 135-pound division thanks to his victories over Marlon Moraes and Dominick Cruz. His knockout of former titleholder T.J. Dillashaw, albeit at 125 pounds, also added to his unstoppable aura.
On paper, at least, Cejudo would definitely provide ‘Funk Master’ with a very difficult test. Sterling’s wrestling credentials, even as a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, pale in comparison to Cejudo’s Olympic gold medal. With that said, it’d be unlikely that we’d see ‘Triple C’ put on his back.
On the feet, meanwhile, it’s arguable that Sterling might be the more skilled striker, but based on what we’ve seen of him, it’s also arguable that Cejudo packs more of a punch and could definitely knock ‘Funk Master’ out if he could land cleanly.
Essentially, Cejudo might find securing a shot at the featherweight title tricky right now. However, if he chose to, he could probably claim a shot at Sterling’s bantamweight title right away and there’d definitely be a chance of him winning if he did.
#1. T.J. Dillashaw vs. Aljamain Sterling
Despite the arguments for Petr Yan warranting another rematch against Aljamain Sterling, it looks like ‘Funk Master’ will be defending his UFC bantamweight title against T.J. Dillashaw in his next bout.
So does Dillashaw stand a chance of dethroning Sterling? There’s certainly a chance that he does. mostly because it looks like he’s guaranteed to fight for the title next, whereas some of the other more dangerous contenders in the division might fall before they reach that point.
Stylistically, Dillashaw should provide Sterling with some difficulty. He’s an excellent wrestler in his own right, with similar amateur credentials to ‘Funk Master’. While it’s unlikely that he’d easily outwrestle the champion, the same could be said in the other direction too.
On the feet, however, Dillashaw is almost certainly the more proven fighter. His combination striking is probably the most impressive that the 135-pound division has to offer right now. Could he knock Sterling out? If he could land cleanly, absolutely.
However, there are questions around the former champion, namely quite how well his cardio will hold up after he was busted for EPO use. While he did impress in his win over Cory Sandhagen, it’s worth noting that ‘Funk Master’ submitted ‘The Sandman’ with ease.
Overall, the fact that Dillashaw seems to be at the front of the queue gives him probably the best shot at dethroning Sterling right now. It’ll be fascinating to see what happens when they clash in the octagon in the near future.
