Aljamain Antoine Sterling (born July 31, 1989) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

. He currently competes in the

Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

(UFC), where he is a former UFC Bantamweight Champion. Sterling is the first UFC champion to win a title by disqualification. He also competed for Cage Fury Fighting Championship, where he is a former Cage Fury Fighting Championship Bantamweight Champion. As of July 15, 2025, he is #7 in UFC featherweight rankings.

Background

Sterling was born in 1989 in

Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in central Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, within the New York metropolitan area. The population was 32,473 at the time of the 2020 United States census ...

to Jamaican parents, Cleveland and Sophia Sterling. He grew up with seven full siblings and at least 12 half-siblings. To stay away from the prevalent gang life in which some of his brothers joined, Sterling started wrestling at

Uniondale High School Uniondale High School is a public high school located in Uniondale, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the only high school operated by the Uniondale Union Free School District. Demographics As of the 2014-15 school year, the sc ...

in 2004.

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. During the time in Morrisville, Sterling developed an interest in MMA when he met

Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...

and trained on the wrestling team. After his freshman year, Sterling transferred to Cortland and eventually became a two-time NCAA Division III

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

with a record of 87–27. Sterling graduated from Cortland with a bachelor's degree in

physical education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

. After years of absence from wrestling competition, Sterling wrestled and grappled two-time NCAA DI wrestling All-American and

sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of Post-secondary school, post-secondary educatio ...

from

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...

Roman Bravo-Young, on December 22, 2020, at the NLWC IV. The rules consisted of six minutes of

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling. It is one of two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games, along with Greco-Roman wrestling, Greco-Roman. scholastic wrestling, High school wrestling and men's collegiate wrestling in the U ...

and three minutes of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Sterling was defeated by points in the first match 6-4 but tapped out Bravo-Young in the second one. Sterling's nickname “The Funk Master” comes from his unorthodox wrestling style.

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 Ithaca () is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metrop ...

. A few fights into his professional career, Sterling left The BombSquad and started training at

Serra-Longo Fight Team Serra-Longo Fight Team is a mixed martial arts team based on Long Island, New York that was formed by Matt Serra and Ray Longo. The team has two gyms operating under it, Serra BJJ Academy and Longo-Weidman MMA. It has produced four UFC champion ...

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. Sterling started his professional career 2–0, before earning a shot at the ROC Bantamweight Championship. He would go on to defeat

Claudio Ledesma Claudio Ledesma (born April 2, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing as a Flyweight. A professional competitor since 2009, Ledesma has previously competed for Bellator. Mixed martial arts career Early career Making his p ...

by split decision to capture the title. 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 Cage Fury Fighting Championships (CFFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion primarily operating in the Northeastern United States, founded by Felix and Amy Martinez. They promoted their first shows in Atlantic City, New Jersey, laun ...

. 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 The rear naked choke (RNC), also known as hadaka jime (裸絞) in Judo and "lion killer choke (Mata Leão)" in BJJ, is a chokehold in martial arts applied from an opponent's back. The word ''naked'' in this context suggests that, unlike other stra ...

, which earned him the opportunity to compete in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2014

Sterling was scheduled to make his UFC debut at

UFC 170 ''UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann'' was a mixed martial arts held on February 22, 2014, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was released on DVD on May 27, 2014. The DVD was distributed by ''Anchor Bay Entertainment''. Ba ...

against

Lucas Martins Lucas Martins (born 11 November 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the lightweight division of Brave Combat Federation, where he is a former interim lightweight champion. A professional mixed martial artist since 2011, Ma ...

, replacing an injured

Bryan Caraway Bryan Caraway (born August 4, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in Battlefield Fighting Championship. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, Caraway has fought in the UFC, Strikeforce, EliteXC, and the WEC. He was ...

. However Martins was eventually injured as well and replaced by fellow UFC newcomer Cody Gibson. Sterling won the fight via unanimous decision. Sterling made his second UFC appearance on July 16, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 45 ''UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Miller'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 45'') was a mixed martial arts event held on July 16, 2014, at Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Background The event was headlined by a lightweight bout betw ...

against Hugo Viana. 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 Mitch Gagnon (born October 10, 1984) is a retired Canadians, Canadian mixed martial artist who competed in the Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division. He is most notable for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts c ...

at UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Saffiedine on October 4, 2014. However, Sterling pulled out of the bout and was replaced by

Rob Font Robert Spencer Font (born June 25, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2011, Font formerly competed for CES ...

. Following a quick recovery, Sterling was promptly rebooked and was expected to face

Frankie Saenz Frankie Ozuna Saenz III (born August 12, 1980) is an American mixed martial artist who competed in the bantamweight division. A professional since 2009, he made a name for himself fighting mostly in his native state , where he was King of the Cag ...

on November 8, 2014, at

UFC Fight Night 55 ''UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 55'', or ''UFC Fight Night Sydney'') was a mixed martial arts event held at the Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia on November 8, 2014. Background This event was the fou ...

. However, Saenz was forced to withdraw from the bout and in turn promotional newcomer Michael Imperato was briefly linked as a replacement. However, his signing was quickly rescinded and as a result, Sterling was pulled from the event altogether.

2015

Sterling was expected to face

Manny Gamburyan Manny Gamburyan (; born May 8, 1981) is an Armenian retired mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC's lightweight, featherweight, and bantamweight divisions. A professional competitor since 1999, he was a cast member of Spike TV's The Ultim ...

on April 18, 2015, at

UFC on Fox 15 ''UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 15'') was a mixed martial arts event held on April 18, 2015, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background The event was the sixth event that the UFC has hosted in New ...

. However, Gamburyan pulled out of the bout citing injury and was replaced by

Takeya Mizugaki (born December 16, 1983) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist who most notably competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor from 2005 to 2020, Mizugaki also competed for Absolute C ...

. Sterling won the fight by submission in the third round. Sterling faced

Johnny Eduardo Johnny Eduardo (born August 3, 1978) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Bantamweight (MMA), bantamweight division. He has formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed martial arts ...

on December 10, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 80 ''UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 80'') was a mixed martial arts event held on December 10, 2015, at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was expected to be headline ...

. He won the fight via submission in the second round.

2016

Sterling next faced

on May 29, 2016, at

UFC Fight Night 88 ''UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Garbrandt'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 88'') was a mixed martial arts event held on May 29, 2016, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background A bantamweight bout between top undefeated p ...

. Despite dominating the first round, Sterling began to tire and would go on to lose the following two rounds and lose via split decision. Sterling was expected to face

Raphael Assunção Raphael Assunção (born 19 July 1982) is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Born in Recife in Northeast Brazil, Assunção move ...

on December 9, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 102. However, Sterling pulled out of the fight on November 23 citing injury. Assunção was subsequently removed from the card.

2017

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

Augusto Mendes Augusto Mendes (born March 3, 1983) is a Brazilian former professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner. He was signed to the Absolute Championship Berkut. He was the International ...

on April 15, 2017, at

UFC on Fox 24 ''UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 24'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on April 15, 2017, at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Background The event was the f ...

. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Sterling faced

Renan Barão Renan do Nascimento Mota Pegado (born 31 January 1987), known as Renan Barão, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and a former UFC Bantamweight Champion. According to Fight Matrix, Barão holds the third longest unbeaten streak i ...

on July 29, 2017, at

UFC 214 ''UFC 214: Cormier vs. Jones 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship and held on July 29, 2017, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Background A PPV event was initially planned for Anaheim on Ja ...

. 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 ''UFC 177: Dillashaw vs. Soto'' was a mixed martial arts event held on August 30, 2014, at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California. Background The event was originally planned to take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev ...

. The bout with Sterling proceeded as scheduled at a catchweight of 140 lbs. Sterling won the bout by unanimous decision. Sterling was expected to face

Rani Yahya Rani Ahmad Yahya (born September 12, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and BJJ practitioner. He won the 66 kg division of the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in April 2007. He currently fights in the Bantam ...

on December 9, 2017, at

UFC Fight Night 123 ''UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 123'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on December 9, 2017, at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Background ...

. However, Yahya pulled out from the event on November 7, 2017, due to injury, and was replaced by

Marlon Moraes Marlon Moraes (born April 26, 1988) is a Brazilian former professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who last competed in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL). He previously competed ...

. He lost the fight via KO in the first round.

2018

Sterling faced

Brett Johns Brett Johns (born 21 February 1992) is a Welsh professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the featherweight division of PFL. Prior to signing with PFL, Johns competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator MMA ...

on April 21, 2018, at

UFC Fight Night 128 ''UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 128'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on April 21, 2018, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Background ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Sterling faced Cody Stamann on September 8, 2018, at

UFC 228 ''UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on September 8, 2018 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Welterweight ...

. He won the fight via submission in the second round.

2019

Sterling faced

Jimmie Rivera Jimmie Rivera (born June 29, 1989) is an American professional mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle boxer, currently signed to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). Prior to signing with BKFC, Rivera competed in the UFC's Bantamweight divis ...

on February 17, 2019, at

UFC on ESPN 1 ''UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 1'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on February 17, 2019 at Talking Stick Resort Arena, now known as Footprint Center ...

. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Sterling faced

Pedro Munhoz Pedro Henrique Lopes Munhoz (born September 7, 1986) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the former Bantamweight Champion of Resur ...

on June 8, 2019, at

UFC 238 ''UFC 238: Cejudo vs. Moraes'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 8, 2019 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Bantamweight Champi ...

. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

2020

Sterling faced

Cory Sandhagen Cory James Sandhagen (born April 20, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional sin ...

on June 6, 2020, at

UFC 250 ''UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 6, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. I ...

in a bout that UFC president Dana White confirmed to be a bantamweight title eliminator. He won the bout via submission in the first round. This win earned him his first '' Performance of the Night''.

UFC Bantamweight Champion

Sterling was expected to face

Petr Yan Petr Evgenyevich Yan (; born 11 February 1993) is a Russian professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He competes in the Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UF ...

for the

UFC Bantamweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC Championship#Title match system, championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, ...

on December 12, 2020, at

UFC 256 ''UFC 256: Figueiredo vs. Moreno'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 12, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...

. However, on November 22, it was announced the bout was scrapped from the UFC 256 card due to undisclosed reasons and the bout took place on March 6, 2021, at

UFC 259 ''UFC 259: Błachowicz vs. Adesanya '' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 6, 2021 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...

. 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. A rematch with Yan was expected to take place on October 30, 2021, at

UFC 267 ''UFC 267: Błachowicz vs. Teixeira'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 30, 2021, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background This event took place ...

. However, on September 25, Sterling withdrew from the contest due to lingering neck issues from surgery. The pair was initially rescheduled to meet at

UFC 272 ''UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 5, 2022, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. ...

on March 5, 2022, but the bout was pushed back to UFC 273 on April 9. Sterling won the close bout and defended the title via split decision. 11 of 18 MMA media outlets scored the bout for Sterling, while 5 scored it as a draw. Sterling successfully defended his title against

T.J. Dillashaw Tyler Jeffrey Dillashaw (born February 7, 1986) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. Dillashaw competed on th ...

on October 22, 2022, at

UFC 280 ''UFC 280: Oliveira vs. Makhachev'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 22, 2022, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Background A UFC Lightweight Champions ...

. 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. Sterling faced

Henry Cejudo Henry Carlos Cejudo (born February 9, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC ...

on May 6, 2023, at UFC 288. He won the fight by split decision and retained his title. 21 of 23 MMA media outlets scored the bout for Sterling, while 2 scored it for Cejudo. Sterling faced Sean O'Malley on August 19, 2023, at

UFC 292 ''UFC 292: Sterling vs. O'Malley'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on August 19, 2023, at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Background The event marked the promot ...

. He lost the fight by second-round technical knockout and lost his title.

Move to Featherweight

Sterling moved up to the featherweight division and faced

Calvin Kattar Calvin Kattar ( ; born March 26, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and owner of MMA promotion ''Combat Zone''. He currently competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Ultimate Figh ...

on April 13, 2024, at

UFC 300 ''UFC 300: Pereira vs. Hill'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on April 13, 2024, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Valley, United States. Background Ma ...

. He won the fight by unanimous decision. On an episode of The MMA Hour following the win, Sterling confessed he would have considered retiring if he lost to Kattar. Sterling was scheduled to face

Movsar Evloev Movsar Magomedovich Evloev (born February 11, 1994) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2014, he has also competed ...

on October 5, 2024 at

UFC 307 ''UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr.'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on October 5, 2024, at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Background The event marked the ...

. However, Sterling withdrew from the fight due to an injury sustained in sparring. The pairing was eventually rescheduled to

UFC 310 ''UFC 310: Pantoja vs. Asakura'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 7, 2024, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Valley, United States. Backgroun ...

on December 7, 2024. Sterling lost the fight by unanimous decision. Sterling is scheduled to face former

UFC Featherweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

challenger

Brian Ortega Brian Martin Ortega (born February 21, 1991) is an American professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professiona ...

on August 23, 2025 at

UFC Fight Night 257 ''UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 257'' and ''UFC on ESPN+ 115'') is an upcoming mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that will take place on August 23, 2025, at the Shanghai ...

Professional grappling career

Sterling has also competed in

submission grappling Submission wrestling, also known as submission grappling, submission fighting, or simply grappling, is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and submission techniques. It is a hybrid discipline that incorporates eleme ...

, defeating Damien Nitkin at High Rollerz 18 on August 13, 2022. Sterling was originally booked to compete in a superfight against Nathaniel Wood at Polaris 25 on September 30, 2023. Wood withdrew from the match on a few week's notice and was replaced by

Mike Grundy Michael Grundy (born 1 March 1987) is an English professional mixed martial artist and wrestler who competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is now signed to Global Fight League (GFL) where he compe ...

. Sterling defeated Grundy by decision. Sterling faced Kevin Dantzler in the main event of Fury Pro Grappling 8 on December 30, 2023. 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." Sterling competed against Chase Hooper in the main event of ADXC 2 on January 19, 2024. He won the match by split decision. Sterling faced Jay Jay Wilson on July 25, 2024 at

Karate Combat Karate Combat (KC) is a brand which promotes the first professional full-contact karate league, hosting worldwide events since April 2018. The private company is headquartered in Dubai and was founded by Robert Bryan. Karate Combat is owned by t ...

's ''Pit Submission Series 7''. He won the bout by points in the overtime round.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

(One time) *** First UFC champion to win a title by disqualification *** Three successful title defenses *** Most consecutive title defenses in UFC Bantamweight division history (3) ***Tied (

Dominick Cruz Dominick Rogelio Cruz (born March 9, 1985) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, sports analyst and color commentator. He competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the first ...

) for second most title fight wins in UFC Bantamweight division history (4) ** Performance of the Night (One time) ** Most wins in UFC Bantamweight division history (14) *** Tied (

) for most wins in UFC/WEC Bantamweight division history (14) ** Second longest win streak in UFC Bantamweight division history (9) **Fourth most total fight time in UFC Bantamweight division history (3:55:40) **Second most control time in UFC Bantamweight division history (1:08:36) **Second most total strikes landed in UFC Bantamweight division history (1670) (behind

Merab Dvalishvili Merab Dvalishvili ( ka, მერაბ დვალიშვილი ; born January 10, 1991) is a Georgian and American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championsh ...

) **Tied (

) for third most bouts in UFC Bantamweight division history (18) **Tied (

) for fifth most finishes in UFC Bantamweight division history (6) **Tied (

Kyung Ho Kang Kang Kyung-ho (, born September 9, 1987), often anglicized Kyung Ho Kang, is a South Korean mixed martial artist who competed in the UFC's bantamweight division. Background Kang started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 2006, proceeding rapidl ...

Marlon Vera Marlon Andrés Vera Delgado (born December 2, 1992), also known as Chito Vera, is an Ecuadorian professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of February 25, ...

) for third most submissions in UFC Bantamweight division history (4) **Tied (

) for third most decision wins in UFC Bantamweight division history (7) **Sixth most significant strikes landed in UFC Bantamweight division history (1115) **Fourth most takedowns landed in UFC Bantamweight division history (32) **Third most submission attempts in UFC Bantamweight division history (13) **UFC.com Awards ***2015: Ranked #10 Submission of the Year ***2018: Ranked #3 Submission of the Year ***2020: Half-Year Awards: Best Submission of the 1HY & Ranked #3 Submission of the Year ***2022: Ranked #7 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #7 Upset of the Year *

** CFFC Bantamweight Championship (One time) *** Three successful title defenses *Ring of Combat **ROC Bantamweight Championship (One time) *

MMAJunkie.com MMA Junkie is a news website that covers the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It was founded in 2006, and has been owned by Gannett Company since 2011. The site and its content have been featured in ''Time'' magazine, ''ESPN The Magazine'', ''Th ...

**2018 Submission of the Year vs. Cody Stamann **2020 June Submission of the Month vs.

*Cageside Press **2020 "Submission of the Year" vs.

, tied with

Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was the longest-rei ...

and A.J. McKee *

World MMA Awards The World MMA Awards are awards presented by ''Fighters Only'' magazine to honor exceptional performance in various aspects of mixed martial arts. Winners are presented with the ''Fighters Only silver statuette''. The World MMA Awards are divided ...

**2022 Comeback of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

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Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...

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Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–3 , Cody Stamann , Submission (Suloev stretch) ,

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Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

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Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

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Fresno, California Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...

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Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

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Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...

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Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–0 , Hugo Viana , TKO (punches) , UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Miller , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:50 ,

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Cody Gibson Cody Gibson (born September 11, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Born in Blackwell, Oklahoma, in 1987, Gibson and his brother Keith were a ...

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Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Joel Roberts , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Cage Fury FC 30 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:49 ,

King of Prussia, Pennsylvania King of Prussia (nicknamed K.O.P.) is a census-designated place in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania, Upper Merion Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. The community took its unusual name in the 18th century from a loca ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–0 , Sidemar Honorio , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Cage Fury FC 16 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 4:05 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Sean Santella , Decision (unanimous) , Cage Fury FC 11 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 4–0 , Evan Chmielski , TKO (punches) , Cage Fury FC 10 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:58 ,

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Erie, Pennsylvania Erie is a city on the south shore of Lake Erie and the county seat of Erie County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, fifth-most populous city in Pennsylvania and the most populous in Northwestern Pen ...

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Morristown, New Jersey Morristown () is a Town (New Jersey), town in and the county seat of Morris County, New Jersey, Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

, United States ,

Submission grappling record

Pay-per-view bouts

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sterling, Aljamain 1989 births Living people American sportspeople of Jamaican descent African-American Christians African-American mixed martial artists American male mixed martial artists American male sport wrestlers Jamaican male mixed martial artists Jamaican male sport wrestlers Mixed martial artists from New York (state) Bantamweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Jamaican practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu State University of New York at Cortland alumni State University of New York at Morrisville alumni Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Ultimate Fighting Championship champions 21st-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen

Background

Wrestling career

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

UFC Bantamweight Champion

Move to Featherweight

Professional grappling career

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Submission grappling record

Pay-per-view bouts

See also

References

External links