Aljamain Sterling Calls Out Silva for December Featherweight Contender Fight
Aljamain Sterling wants Jean Silva next and he wants it in December. The former UFC bantamweight champion said the pairing should settle who is the clear-cut No. 1 contender at 145 pounds after Silva’s Noche finish.
Sterling made the pitch on The Weekly Scraps podcast. He said he does not care whether the fight lands on a Las Vegas numbered card or a Fight Night, and he is fine with five rounds either way.
“Even if it’s a Fight Night, I don’t give a fck,” Sterling said. “December, run that sht.”
He repeated the last line four times. The point was not volume. It was that he is done waiting on a cleaner path that may not exist.
Silva submitted Jose Miguel Delgado in the third round of the Noche UFC main event on Sept. 12 after Yair Rodriguez withdrew with an injury. The Brazilian is ranked No. 6 at featherweight and has said he is next for the title.
Sterling is ranked No. 4. He is 3-1 since moving up, with decisions over Calvin Kattar, Brian Ortega, and Youssef Zalal. His only featherweight loss is to undefeated No. 1 contender Movsar Evloev.
Champion Alexander Volkanovski defends against Evloev at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi. That booking is why Sterling framed December as the practical window, not a random date.
“All I’m saying is, I wanna give him the fair opportunity to heal, be ready, be the best version of himself, and I would love to have that fight,” Sterling said.
He said he only wants fights that move him. At 37, he is not taking names for the résumé.
“I wanna fight the fights that make the most sense, the biggest names, the fights that get me somewhere, not just taking random fights just to say, ‘Oh, I fought this guy,’” Sterling said. “Like, I don’t give a f*ck, bro. I’m 37. It’s time to shut up and get off the pot.”
The title picture is the rest of the argument. If Evloev beats Volkanovski, Sterling said the new champion will not turn around quickly because Ramadan follows.
“’Cause if Evgeny wins, you know he’s not fighting anytime soon,” Sterling said. “He’s got Ramadan coming up. The division’s gonna be in a standstill position and nothing’s gonna happen for a while.”
That is the stall he wants to avoid. A December winner between him and Silva would still be active while the belt sits.
“So the most common sense thing, in my personal opinion, is to let us figure it out and see who wins,” Sterling said. “We both stay busy, stay active.”
Silva has already claimed the next title shot after Noche and said the message was for whoever holds the belt. Sterling’s counter is that a No. 4 versus a No. 6 in December is the fight that produces a real No. 1 instead of another waiting period.
Nothing is booked. Volkanovski and Evloev still have to fight in October, and the UFC has not put Sterling-Silva on a December card.
Sterling’s position is now public and specific. He will take Vegas or a Fight Night, three rounds or five, as long as Silva is healthy and the date is December.