Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling at UFC 228
Born (1989-07-31) July 31, 1989 (age 34)
Uniondale, New York, U.S.
Other namesFunk Master
Aljo
ResidenceMassapequa, New York, U.S.[1]
Height5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Weight135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st)
DivisionFeatherweight (2011)
Bantamweight (2011–present)
Reach71 in (180 cm)[2]
Fighting out ofUniondale, New York, U.S.
TeamSerra-Longo Fight Team
TrainerRay Longo[4]
Matt Serra[5]
Eric Nicksick[6]
RankBlack belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Matt Serra[7]
WrestlingNCAA Division III Wrestling All-American[8]
Years active2010–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total27
Wins23
By knockout3
By submission8
By decision11
By disqualification1
Losses4
By knockout2
By decision2
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Aljamain Sterling (born July 31, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where he is the former UFC Bantamweight Champion.[9] Sterling is the first UFC champion to win a title by disqualification. He also competed for Cage Fury Fighting Championship, where he is the former Cage Fury Fighting Championship Bantamweight Champion. Sterling holds the UFC bantamweight division records for most wins, most consecutive wins, and most consecutive title defenses. As of August 22, 2023, he is #1 in UFC bantamweight rankings, and as of January 23, 2024, he is #12 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.[10]

Background

Sterling was born in 1989 in Uniondale, New York to Jamaican parents, Cleveland and Sophia Sterling.[1][11] He grew up with seven full siblings and at least 12 half-siblings.[1] To stay away from the prevalent gang life in which some of his brothers joined, Sterling started wrestling at Uniondale High School in 2004.[12][1]

Wrestling career

Unable to catch up with the grades to reach Division I, Sterling opted to enroll at Morrisville State College where he continued wrestling.[1] During the time in Morrisville, Sterling developed an interest in MMA when he met Jon Jones and trained on the wrestling team.[13] After the freshman year, Sterling transferred to Cortland and eventually became a two-time NCAA Division III All-American with a record of 87–27.[1][14] Sterling graduated from Cortland with a bachelor's degree in physical education.[15]

After years of absence from wrestling competition, Sterling wrestled and grappled two-time NCAA DI wrestling All-American and sophomore from Penn State Roman Bravo-Young, on December 22, 2020, at the NLWC IV.[16] The rules consisted of six minutes of freestyle wrestling and three minutes of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.[17] Sterling was defeated by points in the first match 6-4 but tapped out Bravo-Young in the second one.[18]

Sterling's nickname “The Funk Master” comes from his unorthodox wrestling style.[15]

Mixed martial arts career

While studying in Cortland, Sterling was invited by Jones to try out mixed martial arts at his gym of that time, The BombSquad in Ithaca, New York.[1] A few fights into his professional career, Sterling left The BombSquad and started training at Serra-Longo Fight Team.[1]

Early career

Sterling started his amateur career in 2009 with a submission win. Prior to turning pro Sterling compiled a 6-1 amateur record with the lone loss coming by way of split decision, he would eventually avenge this loss. Sterling captured the Raging Wolf amateur Bantamweight Championship and Extreme FC amateur Featherweight Championship along the way.[19]

Sterling started his professional career 2–0, before earning a shot at the ROC Bantamweight Championship. He would go on to defeat Claudio Ledesma by split decision to capture the title.[20] Although this would turn out to be his last bout under the Ring of Combat organization, as he would later sign with Cage Fury Fighting Championships.

Sterling made his CFFC debut in a Featherweight bout against Evan Chmieleski. He won the fight by TKO with just two seconds left in the first round. This victory earned him a shot at the vacant CFFC Bantamweight Championship. Sterling defeated Sean Santella via unanimous decision to capture his second professional title. He would go on to defend the CFFC Bantamweight Championship on three occasions. Sterling finished all three of his title defenses by rear naked choke, which earned him the opportunity to compete in the UFC.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2014

Sterling was scheduled to make his UFC debut at UFC 170 against Lucas Martins, replacing an injured Bryan Caraway.[21] However Martins was eventually injured as well and replaced by fellow UFC newcomer Cody Gibson.[22] Sterling won the fight via unanimous decision.[23]

Sterling made his second UFC appearance on July 16, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 45 against Hugo Viana.[24] After controlling the majority of the fight Sterling landed a barrage of punches from the mount position causing the referee to wave off the fight late in the third round.

Sterling was expected to face Mitch Gagnon at UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Saffiedine on October 4, 2014.[25] However, Sterling pulled out of the bout and was replaced by Rob Font.[26]

Following a quick recovery, Sterling was promptly rebooked and was expected to face Frankie Saenz on November 8, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 55.[27] However, Saenz was forced to withdraw from the bout and in turn promotional newcomer Michael Imperato was briefly linked as a replacement.[28] However, his signing was quickly rescinded[29] and as a result, Sterling was pulled from the event altogether.[30]

2015

Sterling was expected to face Manny Gamburyan on April 18, 2015, at UFC on Fox 15.[31] However, Gamburyan pulled out of the bout citing injury and was replaced by Takeya Mizugaki.[32] Sterling won the fight by submission in the third round.

Sterling faced Johnny Eduardo on December 10, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 80.[33] He won the fight via submission in the second round.[34]

2016

Sterling next faced Bryan Caraway on May 29, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 88.[35] Despite dominating the first round, Sterling began to tire and would go on to lose the following two rounds and lose via split decision.[36]

Sterling was expected to face Raphael Assunção on December 9, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 102.[37] However, Sterling pulled out of the fight on November 23 citing injury.[38] Assunção was subsequently removed from the card.[39]

2017

The bout with Assunção was rescheduled and took place on January 28, 2017, at UFC on Fox 23.[40] Sterling lost the fight via split decision.[41]

Sterling faced Augusto Mendes on April 15, 2017, at UFC on Fox 24.[42] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[43]

Sterling faced Renan Barão on July 29, 2017, at UFC 214.[44] The fight was initially contracted to be contested at bantamweight, however on June 28, the CSAC announced that they would not license Barão to compete at that weight due to his struggle to make the required weight at UFC 177. The bout with Sterling proceeded as scheduled at a catchweight of 140 lbs.[45] Sterling won the bout by unanimous decision.[46]

Sterling was expected to face Rani Yahya on December 9, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 123.[47] However, Yahya pulled out from the event on November 7, 2017, due to injury,[48] and was replaced by Marlon Moraes.[49] He lost the fight via KO in the first round.[50]

2018

Sterling faced Brett Johns on April 21, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 128.[51] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[52]

Sterling faced Cody Stamann on September 8, 2018, at UFC 228.[53] He won the fight via submission in the second round.[54]

2019

Sterling faced Jimmie Rivera on February 17, 2019, at UFC on ESPN 1.[55] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[56]

Sterling faced Pedro Munhoz on June 8, 2019, at UFC 238.[57] He won the fight by unanimous decision.[58]

2020

Sterling faced Cory Sandhagen on June 6, 2020, at UFC 250 in a bout that UFC president Dana White confirmed to be a bantamweight title eliminator.[59][60] He won the bout via submission in the first round.[61] This win earned him his first Performance of the Night.[62]

UFC Bantamweight Champion

Sterling was expected to face Petr Yan for the UFC Bantamweight Championship on December 12, 2020, at UFC 256.[63] However, on November 22, it was announced the bout was scrapped from the UFC 256 card due to undisclosed reasons[64] and the bout took place on March 6, 2021, at UFC 259.[65] Sterling won the fight by disqualification due to an intentional illegal knee in the fourth round, becoming the new UFC Bantamweight Champion. He became the first fighter in UFC history to win a championship by disqualification.[66]

A rematch with Yan was expected to take place on October 30, 2021, at UFC 267.[67] However, on September 25, Sterling withdrew from the contest due to lingering neck issues from surgery.[68] The pair was initially rescheduled to meet at UFC 272 on March 5, 2022,[69] but the bout was pushed back to UFC 273 on April 9.[70] Sterling won the close bout and defended the title via split decision.[71] 11 of 18 MMA media outlets scored the bout for Sterling, while 5 scored it as a draw.[72]

Sterling successfully defended his title against T.J. Dillashaw on October 22, 2022, at UFC 280.[73] Following a shoulder dislocation suffered by Dillashaw in the first, Sterling defended the title via TKO in the second round, marking his first victory by strikes in nearly eight years.[74][75][76]

Sterling faced Henry Cejudo on May 6, 2023, at UFC 288.[77] He won the fight by split decision and retained his title.[78] 21 of 23 MMA media outlets scored the bout for Sterling, while 2 scored it for Cejudo.[79]

Sterling faced Sean O'Malley on August 19, 2023, at UFC 292.[80] He lost the fight by second-round technical knockout and lost his title.[81]

Move to Featherweight

Sterling is scheduled to move up to featherweight and face Calvin Kattar on April 13, 2024 at UFC 300.[82]

Professional grappling career

Sterling has also competed in submission grappling, defeating Damien Nitkin at High Rollerz 18 on August 13, 2022.[83]

Sterling was originally booked to compete in a superfight against Nathaniel Wood at Polaris 25 on September 30, 2023.[84] Wood withdrew from the match on a few week's notice and was replaced by Mike Grundy.[85] Sterling defeated Grundy by decision.[86]

Sterling faced Kevin Dantzler in the main event of Fury Pro Grappling 8 on December 30, 2023.[87] The bout was largely uneventful, with Dantzler immediately sitting down and spending the entirety in bottom position. The highlights of the match came when Dantzler attempted an armbar which Sterling defended by picking him up and spinning him around, along with dragging Dantzler around the mat by his ankle. Dantzler won the bout by decision. Sterling criticized the result, saying, "I don’t even know how they score that. Another man can’t drag his ass cheeks on the mat and think that’s a win, doing absolutely nothing."[88][89][90]

Sterling competed against Chase Hooper in the main event of ADXC 2 on January 19, 2024.[91] He won the match by split decision.[92]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
27 matches 23 wins 4 losses
By knockout 3 2
By submission 8 0
By decision 11 2
By disqualification 1 0
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 23–4 Sean O'Malley TKO (punches) UFC 292 August 19, 2023 2 0:51 Boston, Massachusetts, United States Lost the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 23–3 Henry Cejudo Decision (split) UFC 288 May 6, 2023 5 5:00 Newark, New Jersey, United States Defended the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 22–3 T.J. Dillashaw TKO (punches) UFC 280 October 22, 2022 2 3:44 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Defended the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 21–3 Petr Yan Decision (split) UFC 273 April 9, 2022 5 5:00 Jacksonville, Florida, United States Defended and unified the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 20–3 Petr Yan DQ (illegal knee) UFC 259 March 6, 2021 4 4:29 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Won the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 19–3 Cory Sandhagen Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 250 June 6, 2020 1 1:28 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Performance of the Night.
Win 18–3 Pedro Munhoz Decision (unanimous) UFC 238 June 8, 2019 3 5:00 Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win 17–3 Jimmie Rivera Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez February 17, 2019 3 5:00 Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win 16–3 Cody Stamann Submission (Suloev stretch) UFC 228 September 8, 2018 2 3:42 Dallas, Texas, United States
Win 15–3 Brett Johns Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee April 21, 2018 3 5:00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Loss 14–3 Marlon Moraes KO (knee) UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega December 9, 2017 1 1:07 Fresno, California, United States
Win 14–2 Renan Barão Decision (unanimous) UFC 214 July 29, 2017 3 5:00 Anaheim, California, United States Catchweight (140 lb) bout.
Win 13–2 Augusto Mendes Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis April 15, 2017 3 5:00 Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Loss 12–2 Raphael Assunção Decision (split) UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña January 28, 2017 3 5:00 Denver, Colorado, United States
Loss 12–1 Bryan Caraway Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Garbrandt May 29, 2016 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 12–0 Johnny Eduardo Submission (guillotine choke) UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant December 10, 2015 2 4:18 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 11–0 Takeya Mizugaki Submission (arm-triangle choke) UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold April 18, 2015 3 2:11 Newark, New Jersey, United States
Win 10–0 Hugo Viana TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Miller July 16, 2014 3 3:50 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 9–0 Cody Gibson Decision (unanimous) UFC 170 February 22, 2014 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 8–0 Joel Roberts Submission (rear-naked choke) CFFC 30: Sterling vs. Roberts November 2, 2013 1 1:49 King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, United States Defended the CFFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 7–0 Sidemar Honorio Submission (rear-naked choke) CFFC 16: Williams vs. Jacoby August 24, 2012 2 4:05 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Defended the CFFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 6–0 Casey Johnson Submission (rear-naked choke) CFFC 14: No Mercy April 14, 2012 3 2:11 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Defended the CFFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 5–0 Sean Santella Decision (unanimous) CFFC 11: Danger Zone! October 22, 2011 5 5:00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Return to Bantamweight. Won the CFFC Bantamweight Championship.
Win 4–0 Evan Chmielski TKO (punches) CFFC 10: Black Eye July 23, 2011 1 4:58 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Featherweight debut.
Win 3–0 Claudio Ledesma Decision (split) Ring of Combat 36 June 17, 2011 3 5:00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Won the Ring of Combat Bantamweight Championship.
Win 2–0 Harley Leimbach Submission (rear-naked choke) EFC: Bragging Rights 2 May 21, 2011 1 4:01 Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
Win 1–0 Sergio da Silva Decision (unanimous) UCC 4: Supremacy April 22, 2011 3 5:00 Morristown, New Jersey, United States Bantamweight debut.

[99]

Pay-per-view bouts

No Event Fight Date Venue City PPV buys
1. UFC 288 Sterling vs. Cejudo May 6, 2023 Prudential Center Newark, New Jersey, United States Not Disclosed[100]
2. UFC 292 Sterling vs. O'Malley August 19, 2023 TD Garden Boston, Massachusetts, United States Not Disclosed[101]

See also

References

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Achievements Preceded byPetr Yan 9th UFC Bantamweight Champion March 6, 2021 – August 19, 2023 Succeeded bySean O'Malley
UFC Bantamweight Champions
UFC Men's pound for pound Rankings
UFC Bantamweight Rankings
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