Aljamain Sterling
Featherweight
About
A former UFC bantamweight champion and elite grappler who later climbed to featherweight and kept winning.
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Aljamain 'Funk Master' Sterling is one of the best grapplers the bantamweight division has produced, a Long Island wrestler who turned chain-wrestling and slick scrambles into a UFC title. His path to champion was controversial - he first won the belt when Petr Yan landed an illegal knee for a disqualification - but he erased the doubt by beating Yan again in a clean rematch and defending against the likes of TJ Dillashaw, Henry Cejudo and Brian Ortega.
He eventually lost the belt to Sean O'Malley in 2023, then made a smart, gutsy move up to featherweight, where he kept winning against established names like Calvin Kattar and Benson Henderson. His record sits around 26-5.
For fans who appreciate the grappling side of the sport, Sterling is a technician worth studying. His career is also a story about resilience - shrugging off the noise around his title win and proving, fight after fight, that he belongs at the top.
Why fans love Sterling
Underdog grit, technical grappling brilliance, and a comeback narrative as he proves himself again a weight class up.
Why some fans hate Sterling
First won the title via a disqualification when Petr Yan landed an illegal knee, which left some fans calling his early reign tainted until he won the rematch outright.
