Aljamain Sterling wants Alexander Volkanovski next, and he is done dancing around it.
Sterling made his pitch during a UFC on Paramount+ Deep Waters clip after his April 25, 2026 win over Youssef Zalal. The former UFC bantamweight champion argued that his name value, featherweight form, and championship history should put him near the front of the line at 145 pounds.
Sterling is 26-5 in MMA. He is a former UFC bantamweight champion, a former CFFC bantamweight champion, and a two-time NCAA Division III All-American wrestler from SUNY Cortland. He moved to featherweight after losing the bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292.
Here’s what Sterling said:
“I should fight Volkanovski next because I am the best name in the division right now. Like, yeah, there’s an undefeated prospect out there, but we’re not talking about him. We’re talking about me. A lot of people thought I won that fight. I still believe I won that fight. And if it was that razor close, I think I’m just as deserving as a title shot as that guy is. I think my performances have overall been better than his.
“And we’re two OGs of the sport. It’s like, why not just get the legends versus legends out of the way? This is a fight you can build. You can make sick promos for. And I think my skill set is just different. Second to none, when it comes to this division. I get to a dominant position, I take you down, I clasp my hands, it’s just a bad night for people.
“I guarantee you this week, a lot of people are going to be training from the back mount, learning how to throw punches the right way and actually doing damage from that position. And Din, I know we talked about this a bunch, inflicting damage, you know, not letting these guys coast out. So when they get there, they don’t want to be there no more, you know, to try to give them a way out.
“And again, I have been doing this for a long time. I got the most title defenses in the bantamweight division. I’m here, featherweight now. I think this one is really truly, like, just solidified to the world that I am one of the best guys in the world still and I can still get it done. So give me my damn title shot. Volkanovski, nothing but respect, but you know, like I said, I’m coming for that ass.”
Watch the clip below:
https://x.com/UFConParamount/status/2048799341188420090
Sterling Builds His Case Around Resume and Recent Form
Sterling’s title argument starts with what he already did at bantamweight. He won the UFC title against Petr Yan at UFC 259, defended it in the Yan rematch, then added title defenses against T.J. Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo.
His move to featherweight has been active. Sterling beat Calvin Kattar at UFC 300, lost a unanimous decision to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310, then bounced back with wins over Brian Ortega and Youssef Zalal. That gives him three wins in four featherweight appearances.
The Evloev part is the issue. Sterling clearly believes that fight was close enough to keep him in the title discussion, while Evloev’s unbeaten record keeps him in the same conversation. Volkanovski is the target, but Sterling is trying to make the UFC choose resume, name value, and former-champion stakes over undefeated momentum.
