Aljamain Sterling is officially the No. 1 contender for the bantamweight title. Well, sort of.
Currently on a five-fight winning streak, the 31-year-old has successfully beaten top contenders Cody Stamann, Jimmie Rivera, Pedro Munhoz, and most recently, Cory Sandhagen; however, despite his impressive resume, Dana White refused to name Sterling as the next contender for the 135-pound belt.
That all changed last Saturday evening as The UFC President officially confirmed that Yan will likely defend the belt against Sterling sometime in the future (Transcript courtesy of MMA Fighting):
“I’m pretty sure it’s [going to be], it’s more than likely going to be Sterling,” White said.
Of course, plans can always change as White never guaranteed that Sterling will be the next challenger for the bantamweight title, but with Cody Garbrandt making his transition over to the flyweight division soon, and Cody Sandhagen and Pedro Munhoz currently coming off big losses, Sterling is likely the best contender for the prestigious belt.
Yan will be a tough competitor to beat as the reigning UFC Bantamweight Champion has yet to lose a bout in the company. In fact, Yan hasn’t lost a fight in four years, with him notably dropping Urijah Faber and José Aldo, two veterans and former champions. This bout should be an interesting clash between the young talents. We’ll keep you updated with this story if the match-up is made official.