Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Aljamain Sterling after UFC Vegas 116 win?

Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Aljamain Sterling after UFC Vegas 116 win?

Aljamain Sterling's quest to claim another UFC championship got a little more momentum after his performance in the UFC Fight Night 274 main event, but was it enough to get a shot at gold?

Sterling (26-5 MMA, 18-5 UFC) put on another display of grappling superiority on Saturday at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. He successfully shut down Youssef Zalal (18-6-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) for the majority of five rounds to claim a unanimous decision win, and he's now won two of three fights since moving up to featherweight.

After setting a high bar with his accomplishments at bantamweight, including a title run with three defences, Sterling chose to move up to chase a new kind of glory.

Only 10 fighters in UFC history have captured belts in two weight classes during their careers. Sterling is driven by his desire to join that elite group, and he made his case for the opportunity post-fight.

The problem for Sterling is that he's not the only player in the 145-pound title picture. Champion Alexander Volkanovski has expressed his desire to defend against unbeaten contender Movsar Evloev, who beat Sterling in his lone divisional setback at UFC 310 in December 2024.

Additionally, Jean Silva (17-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is campaigning for a title shot, and Arman Tsarukyan also continues to tease a drop down to this weight class, too. If Sterling had an emphatic finish against Zalal, then he might have an inside track, but he did himself no favors in that regard.

If Evloev does get his rightfully-earned opportunity vs. Volkanovski, then Sterling vs. Silva is a logical next booking and eliminator bout. Yair Rodriguez would also be a fun opponent for "The Funkmaster," but the former interim champion hasn't been seen in more than a year.