UFC featherweight Aljamain Sterling is on a mission to earn a title shot, and he believes an impressive win over Brian Ortega at UFC Shanghai puts him in the title picture.
“I think a very impressive performance against Brian Ortega puts me in the conversation to challenge for a title,” Sterling told reporters on Wednesday.
“Or at least one fight away.”
Sterling (24-5) faces Ortega a fellow grappling specialist well versed in Jiu Jitsu. It’ll be the base that Sterling will use his high-level wrestling against.
“I would imagine I’m probably going to be looking for my openings for a takedown before he will be. I guess depending on how that goes, how he reacts, if I can get him down relatively easy. If I gotta fight for it maybe we just keep it standing,” he said.
“But if I get it relatively easy then I think the fans get what they want. They get to see two high-level grapplers go at it.”
Regardless of how this fight goes there’s a possibility we see this rematch later on in a different format. The UFC recently launched UFC BJJ signing some of the best talent on the planet in the art of grappling.
Could we see Sterling vs. Ortega 2 in UFC BJJ? Apparently another promotion already asked.
“It’s funny. Karate Combat actually offered me that match and I said hey I don’t know what’s happening right now, but there’s a good chance that he could be a potential opponent,” said Sterling.
“I’m going to say we probably shouldn’t grapple right now just in case they actually offer the matchup. A week later they did.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Aljamain Sterling above. He faces Brian Ortega at UFC Shanghai on Saturday.
