the bantamweight division in the UFC is known for it’s deep talent pool, making it challenging for fighters to quickly climb the ranks. For Aljamain Sterling, his journey to title contention took approximately five years.

Sterling, originally from New York, began his UFC career impressively with three consecutive finishes. Tho, split decision losses to Bryan Caraway and Rafael Assunção slowed his progress. He rebounded with a couple of wins,but then faced another setback with a knockout loss to Marlon Moraes in December 2017. This defeat proved to be a turning point. Sterling went on to win his next four fights over the following two years, earning him a title-eliminator match against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250. In a dominant performance, Sterling submitted Sandhagen in under 90 seconds, solidifying his position as the next challenger for the bantamweight title.

UFC SHANGHAI FULL FIGHTS: Walker vs Craig | Zhang vs Smith | Ortega vs Rodriguez | Sterling vs Kattar

The Contentious Title Win and Subsequent Defense

“Rather of the fascinating stylistic clash most anticipated, Sterling loudly distinguished himself as the next man in line for the belt.”

This set the stage for Sterling’s first encounter with then-champion Petr Yan at UFC 259.The fight was closely contested through three rounds, with judges’ scorecards reflecting the tight battle. However, an illegal knee from Yan in the fourth round led to a disqualification, and Sterling was awarded the title. The circumstances of the victory led to considerable criticism directed at Sterling. A rematch took place over a year later at UFC 273, where sterling aimed to silence his critics. In another closely fought contest, Sterling successfully defended his title via split decision.