Aljamain Sterling may not have a lot of Dana White privilege but the former bantamweight champion believes he may still curry more favor with his boss than the opponent he’s facing on Saturday night at UFC 310.
Ahead of his fight against Movsar Evloev in his second appearance at 145 pounds, Sterling addressed the criticism the undefeated Russian has faced while going 8-0 in the UFC without a single finish along the way. The UFC CEO was arguably the loudest voice regarding Evloev’s particular style when he lambasted him for a lackluster performance beating Arnold Allen back in January.
“That was the least fun fight anybody has ever seen,” White said about Evloev vs. Allen. “Do you know who lost that fight? The fans.”
While Sterling has also landed in White’s crosshairs in the past, he couldn’t help but smile at someone else taking the brunt of his frustrations after a fight.
“I can appreciate a technical fight,” Sterling said. “I wouldn’t really consider him boring. I think Dana saying that fight with Arnold Allen was boring was kind of a stretch. I think most people would agree with that.
“I think it’s probably more his dislike for Movsar. I think he might dislike him more than me. That’s a good thing!”
As much as he values Evloev’s ability to win fights, Sterling also understands that fans want finishes and that’s just something the featherweight contender hasn’t provided since joining the UFC roster.
“Eight fights, no finishes, all decisions,” Sterling said. “I at least got a couple of finishes in there, especially at the beginning of my career when the competition isn’t as tough. That’s what you’re supposed to do. You’re supposed separate yourself from the competition and I’ve been able to do that.
“Fighting the best guys, it’s not easy to finish the best guys in the world but I look to do that Saturday night against Movsar.”
Despite the fight potentially putting the winner in a position to challenge for a title in the near future, Sterling and Evloev didn’t get a spot on the main card at UFC 310.
They didn’t even get the headline position for the prelims but instead the featherweights clash earlier in the night and that never made much sense to Sterling.
Perhaps that comes down to White’s disdain for the grappling-heavy style that both employ but Sterling can’t get lost in those details with the fight now just days away.
“I don’t really understand what’s happening because I haven’t spoke to the UFC about it,” Sterling said. “But nothing changes. I get paid the same money. It doesn’t matter where your placement is on the card. Your contract is your contract.
“The one thing I will say is more people watching on the prelims, generally. The only thing for me is that the crowd in Vegas, which kind of sucks. Everyone is out partying. They had fancy dinners. They’re doing all kinds of weird stuff because what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas and then they come to the main card. So maybe the arena won’t be as packed. That’s the only bummer about it. Other than that, it’s lit either way. I’m going to party, hang out afterwards with my friends and family, drink some Funk Harbor and celebrate a ‘W.’”
Sterling and Evloev being placed on the prelims did get an overtly angry reaction from fans with many speaking out about how the fight deserved a higher billing. Even main card fighter Bryce Mitchell stated that he believed Sterling deserved the spot over him.
That said, Sterling appreciates that the perceived slight may have actually worked in his favor with supporters rallying around him again, which isn’t a feeling he’s really had since he initially won the UFC bantamweight title by disqualification back in 2021.
“Thankfully they’ve gotten behind me a couple of times since my move up,” Sterling said about UFC fans. “It’s like as soon as I lost the belt, they started coming around again.
“I remember when I beat [Cory] Sandhagen, Pedro Munhoz and then Sandhagen, I was like the uncrowned people’s champ. Then I got kneed in the head and somehow I became the villain overnight. But it is what it is. It’s nice to see.”
