Aljamain “Funk Master” Sterling will be back inside the octagon after a seven-month interval, raring to make it two wins in a row when he faces Movsar Evloev of Russia at UFC 310 in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Sterling, who defended his featherweight title thrice on the bounce, suffered a major setback when he challenged Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight title in August last year. He was knocked out in the initial moments of the second round as O’Malley successfully defended his crown.
Sterling then bounced back with a unanimous decision win over Calvin Kattar in a featherweight matchup at UFC 300 earlier this year.
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For someone of Sterling’s stature, who has 16 wins in the UFC, one would expect his fight to be featured as one of the main cards. However, that has not been the case in the recent past. Both at UFC 300 and now in 310, Sterling’s fight has been named under the preliminary card.
Sterling feels it is out of the ordinary to not find his name featured in the main card. “I don’t really own the company at all, so I don’t really call those shots. It is definitely strange, and I don’t know the reasoning,” said the 35-year-old in an exclusive interaction with Sportstar.
“But glass half full... people will be able to tune in (for the fight) for free, and it makes the fight a lot more accessible,” he added.
Sterling has lost just once in his last five fights, whereas his opponent Evloev is unbeaten as a professional in MMA. The Russian has eight wins in the UFC and has clinched victories in all 18 fights as a pro.
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