By: Pankti Parmar Image credit: X
Aljamian Sterling is gearing up for his next title defense against Sean O'Malley. He says that this will be his last fight in the Bantamweight division. He is considering a shift to another division.
Sterling has been reigning in the division for the last 2 years since he won the Bantamweight title against Peter Yan in UFC 259 on March 6, 2021, as his opponent was disqualified.
The upcoming fight against Sean O'Malley will be the fourth title defense for Sterling. Before this, he defended it against Peter Yan, TJ Dillashaw, and Henry Cejudo consecutively.
The move is highly anticipated by another contender in the Bantamweight division. Merab Dvalishvili is currently the top-ranked fighter in the division and is waiting for his shot at the title.
It is said that Dvalishvili and Sterling are close friends, and Sterling doesn't want to fight against each other. Hence, Sterling will move up the weight class to clear the way for his friend.
Sterling said while talking to the MMA Hour, "This is more than likely my last fight at 135. There’s a 99 percent chance it’s my last. If I win this, for sure, I’m out of here."
"It’s Merab’s time and the second part of that is, I’m a little bit over-cutting weight. I walk around 165 to 170 pounds. I think I could hold that frame relatively better," Sterling added.
Aljamain also mentioned that he is not just giving away his title but is aiming for Champ Champ now that he is 34. Thus, Sterling's shifting division would open up new doors for Merab in the division.
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