Aljamain Sterling plans move to featherweight after UFC 292

Aljamain Sterling plans move to featherweight after UFC 292

Aljamain Sterling is the sitting bantamweight champion, but UFC 292 will likely be his final bout in the weight class. Sterling stated on The MMA Hour that he likely be going up to featherweight after UFC 292.

Aljamain Sterling says there's a "99.9 percent chance" this is his last fight at bantamweight 👀 #TheMMAHour

"It’s Merab [Dvalishvili’s] time. The second part of that is, I’m a little bit over cutting weight, this much weight.”

▶️ https://t.co/BhN8SPlXKg pic.twitter.com/yrcifF1rl9

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) August 14, 2023

“This is more than likely my last fight at 135,” Sterling announced. “There’s a 99 percent chance it’s my last.

“If I win this, for sure, I’m out of here.”

Sterling is a massive bantamweight. As he stated, he sits in the 165- to 170-pound range. That leaves him with a 30- to 35-pound cut to get down to the 135-pound bantamweight limit. While cutting weight is nothing new to any MMA fighter, a 30-pound cut in the lower weight classes is a difficult one.

Additionally, a move to featherweight would allow his friend and training partner Merab Dvalishvili to fight for UFC gold.

“It’s Merab’s time, man,” Sterling said. “And the second part of that is, I’m a little bit over cutting weight, this much weight. I walk around 165, 170 [pounds]. I think I could hold that frame relatively better, and I think my conditioning and everything could actually go up a little bit more, back to when I was younger, where I was cutting less.

Sterling does have one task left before leaving the bantamweight division: Sean O’Malley. If Sterling gets the win at UFC 292, he would be leaving the division with some of the division’s top talent on his resume.

Sterling currently holds the record for the most title defense in bantamweight history with three. Sterling has already cemented his name in the bantamweight history books with wins over Henry Cejudo, TJ Dillashaw, Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen.

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A move to featherweight would provide Aljamain Sterling an opportunity to rise up the list of all-time great MMA fighters. The amount of fighters to win gold in two divisions is sparse, but Sterling would have a chance. That said, defeating reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski would be a tall task. Although, if he pulls it off, he would add another legend to his resume.

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