Aljamain Sterling has revealed he was one win away from a dream match-up against Alexander Volkanovski, before his defeat by Sean O’Malley changed everything.
Sterling says he would be fighting for the featherweight title at UFC 300 this weekend had he defended his bantamweight championship against O’Malley, with UFC supremo Dana White agreeing to sanction the right.
But ‘Suga’ secured a sensational second round knockout victory to win the title, while Aussie star Volkanovski went on to lose his belt to Ilia Topuria.
Sterling, 34, takes on Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 this weekend but still harbours regret over not getting the Volkanovski fight.
‘I had asked Dana White for the opportunity to fight Volk, and he said he’d give it to me,’ Sterling told The Daily Telegraph.
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Aljamain Sterling says he was one win away from a dream UFC fight
Sterling said Dana White had agreed for him to fight Alexander Volkanovski (above
‘I just needed to beat Sean O’Malley.
‘It would’ve been a great fight and the perfect way to announce myself at featherweight, against a great champion like Alexander Volkanovski.’
Sterling has opted to move up to the 145-pound division after not being granted an immediate rematch with O’Malley.
He believes that a convincing win at UFC 300 will put him in a strong position to compete for the featherweight belt.
‘If I win and win well, that should put me right up there, with what I’ve done at 135,’ he said.
‘Calvin Kattar’s a tough opponent, but if I can stop him – something even Max Holloway wasn’t even able to do – then that puts me right there.
However, his defeat by Sean O’Malley derailed his plans of fighting for the featherweight title
‘I just need to go out there and do my job.
‘There will be a target on my back,’ he added. ‘I’ve already felt it.
‘These guys are saying, ‘Let’s show this guy why there’s weight classes and why he shouldn’t be at featherweight’.
‘But sorry, I’m already here. That Topuria fight, that’s a great fight too.’
