From controversial victories to dominant performances, Aljaman Sterling has grown into one of the UFC’s most underrated champions. but American can cement his legacy with a victory at UFC 292
- Aljaman Sterling to defend his UFC bantamweight title on Saturday night
- Sterling to face compatriot Sean “Suga” O’Malley in UFC 292 main event
- Here, Mail Sport takes a look at one of esports’ most underrated stars
Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley face off in the UFC bantamweight title fight this Saturday night.
Sterling, a longtime title winner, will be betting on his UFC gold medal when he takes on the popular O’Malley at UFC 292.
Despite his unrivaled success since 2018 (the last time he lost a fight), Sterling remains overlooked by many UFC fans, pundits and fighters.
It’s consistent with the way Sterling has been overlooked and underrated throughout his fighting career.
So the Daily Mail explores here why the American has been so underrated throughout his impressive career.
Sterling grew up with seven half-siblings and 12 half-siblings, many of whom were deeply involved in gang life, according to ESPN.
To get away from these issues, Sterling devoted himself to other interests and hobbies, such as basketball.
However, that dream was shattered when he was only 1.70 meters tall and he decided to turn his attention to wrestling.
As the aforementioned source puts it, Sterling “has a strong but undersized physique and is a good wrestler” and his passion for the sport has kept him at the school.
But as many people know, Sterling’s skills are not limited to the wrestling mat, he also has some impressive boxing skills. We attribute this to a surprising man.
While Sterling was still in college, he was invited to fight in MMA by current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Despite his brief time at the gym, Sterling’s MMA journey has only just begun.
climbing the bantamweight ladder
Sterling signed with the UFC in 2014 after his success at the Cage Fury Fighting Championships and went on to record four straight victories early in his career.
The kind of run that could spark calls for a UFC title fight was shattered when he lost two straight split-decision fights.
Brian Callaway and Rafael Assuncao have proven to be serious opponents for the New York native, and their victories over him could invalidate any UFC title.
But after another four-match winning streak, Sterling soon became another bantamweight frontrunner, cementing that position on June 6, 2020.
In a much-anticipated UFC 250 bout, Sterling took on compatriot Cory Sandhagen in a bantamweight title knockout bout.
Sandhagen was and is a highly regarded bantamweight star, but he looked like an amateur when he faced Sterling, who won by a minute and a half .
It was the “Master of Funk”‘s stellar performance that propelled him to the top of the bantamweight rankings and earned him his first UFC title fight.
Yan value controversy
If Sterling wants to claim the UFC bantamweight title, he’ll have to do something no UFC star has done before: beat Peter Yan.
Yan was undefeated in the seven games before the clash with Sterling. His dominance, technique and expertise were evident as he beat veteran star Jose Aldo.
Facing Yan is a daunting task for any bantamweight star, but no one could have been prepared for the events that ended up happening.
Sterling was defeated at UFC 259 in March 2021. undeniable. If the fight ends up on the referee’s scorecard, he loses.
However, Yan squandered any chance of retaining the title when he suffered an illegal knee throw towards the end of the fourth round as Sterling went down.
The referee quickly ended the fight, and Sterling crowned the new UFC bantamweight champion in the most controversial fashion possible.
Losing the belt would be a cruel but ultimately fair way for Yan, but everyone knows that if Sterling really wants to become the bantamweight king, he will have to defend his title against Yan.
That’s exactly what happened 399 days after they first met.
While many expected Yan to punch a similar butt as in the first fight, Sterling dismembered his opponent with ease.
From his soft strokes to his dominance on the pitch, Sterling Yan was brilliant and deserved to defend his title.
But fans haven’t forgotten the controversial ways he initially claimed, and little has been done to make him forget
Dillashaw’s Disaster
Sterling has become one of the biggest names in the UFC since winning the title
Sterling returned to the Octagon after consecutive wins over the highly rated Yan.
In October 2021, the New York native entered a title fight against UFC veteran T.J. Dillashaw had just been suspended for two years for doping.
Dillashaw marked his comeback fight with a title fight against Sterling after defeating Cory Sandhagen at UFC 280.
However, it was a night for the ever-fan-favorite Dillashaw, who suffered a disastrous second-round TKO loss.
Controversy for the match revolved around the way Sterling beat his opponent, given Dillashaw’s apparent injury.
The bantamweight star suffered a dislocated shoulder during the bout and struggled to move his left arm in the moments leading up to his loss.
Sterling ignored Dillashaw’s difficulty and instead picked up the pace and delivered a series of heavy punches to close out the fight.
boos to cejudo
That brings us up to date, virtually.
Sterling was locked in a war of words with former bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo after defeating an injured Dillashaw.
Before Sterling’s success, Cejudo was a longtime champion, but relinquished the title in May 2020 after announcing his retirement from the sport.
However, after Sterling’s impressive run at the division, Cejudo soon returned to challenge for the new bantamweight title.
The game was played at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, a stone’s throw from Sterling’s New York.
With the fight so close to his hometown, it was expected that the crowd would give the bantamweight champion a huge boost.
However, on the eve of the fight, Sterling was booed several times by the crowd – something that UFC legend Daniel Cormier found amusing.
“Kudos to the man,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “This man will do anything you want a champion to do.” He was active, he fought the best in front of him, he won his fights, he acted like a champion. Time to stop booing Aljaman Sterling.
“It’s a shame this keeps happening,” said Arjo, who was booed in Newark, New Jersey, not far from New York. It really doesn’t make any sense. I don’t know what this person has to do to earn your respect. If tonight isn’t enough, you’ll never be satisfied. ”
Despite yelling from the crowd, Sterling put on a solid performance, outrunning Cejudo from start to finish.