UFC Shanghai: Brian Ortega vs. Aljamain Sterling: Live round-by-round updates

Featherweight fighters Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling will face off in the co-main event of UFC Shanghai in a catchweight bout at 153 pounds, following issues during the weight cuts.

Ortega has been a part of the 145-pound roster for a decade and has established himself as one of the standout fighters in the division. He has competed for the UFC title twice but suffered defeats to Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. Ortega is coming into this bout off a loss to Diego Lopes.

On the other hand, Sterling, a former UFC bantamweight champion, has now transitioned to the featherweight division. After winning against Calvin Kattar in his UFC featherweight debut, Sterling experienced a setback in his last fight at UFC 310, where he lost to Movsar Evloev.

Both Ortega and Sterling hold black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and they are expected to showcase their grappling skills to the fullest in their upcoming showdown.

UFC Shanghai is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium, Xuhui District, China. The prelims will begin at 3 AM ET / 12 AM PT, while the main card action gets underway at 6 AM ET / 3 AM PT, live on ESPN+. Notably, fans in India can watch the event on Sony LIV.

Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for the live coverage and play-by-play updates.