Aljamain Sterling recently name-dropped a high-profile opponent he hopes to face next if Movsar Evloev declines to rebook their fight.
"Funk Master" was set to face Evloev in what could have been a pivotal featherweight title eliminator at UFC 307 on October 5 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. However, last week, Sterling announced that he was compelled to withdraw from the matchup due to a serious elbow injury.
The former UFC bantamweight champion made a successful transition to the 145-pound division this past April at UFC 300, where he delivered a dominant victory over Calvin Kattar. Sterling has one goal in mind—to compete against elite opponents and secure his place in title contention as swiftly as possible.
Loading tweet...
With uncertainty surrounding the possibility of rescheduling his bout with Evloev, Sterling has a contender in mind who could propel him toward a title shot...
Sterling Finds Inspiration In Diego Lopes' Journey & Wants To Face Him Next
During a recent interview with The Schmo, Sterling lavished praise on Diego Lopes for his success in the Octagon. "Funk Master" noted that while he maintains a strong camaraderie with Lopes, he feels that competitive tension is gradually building between them as the Brazilian climbs the ranks in the featherweight division.
I think Diego rising to his stardom and his rise in the sport in the UFC has been huge; it's nothing short of inspiring, to be honest," Sterling said. "I'm happy for the guy. I got to train with him one time; he was a very nice dude, very polite. I can kind of feel the tension shift a little bit now whenever I see him. It seems like there's a little bit more tension there. It's not like I'm fighting him tomorrow or he's my next scheduled fight, so for me, I don't really see a point in being like that. But I can understand why he's a little bit more on guard when seeing me or meeting me.
Sterling further mentioned that if his fight with Evloev doesn't get rebooked, he would definitely be eager to share the Octagon with Lopes in pursuit of his title shot.
If we're talking about the next best fight, if Movsar declines, I just don't know who else he would fight. But if he gives me the option, I’ve always wanted Brian Ortega so I could get the closest spot to the top, and now that next closest guy is Diego Lopes. That's all it is; it has nothing to do with what this guy did or that. It's the name value and what it gets me—risk versus reward. If I'm going to risk it for the biscuit, that's the guy I would risk it with.
Lopes has been on a remarkable run in the Octagon since narrowly losing his promotional debut against Evloev at UFC 288. The Brazilian extended his win streak to five with a dominant victory over Ortega at Noche UFC 306, propelling himself to the #3 spot in the featherweight rankings.