Aljamain Sterling returned to competition earlier tonight (Sat., Sept. 30, 2023) at Polaris 25 live on UFC Fight Pass from inside Ebbw Vale Sports Centre in Wales, defeating former UFC fighter MIke Grundy via unanimous decision. It was the first time fight fans have seen “Funk Master” since getting knocked out by Sean O’Malley and losing his UFC bantamweight title at UFC 292 this past August.
While fight fans would have liked to see Sterling compete inside of the Octagon they were still excited to see the world-class grappler step on the mat at Polaris 25. Sterling was originally expected to face UFC featherweight fighter Nathaniel Wood, but Wood was forced out of the bout and replaced by Grundy.
It didn’t really matter. Sterling utilized his deep bag of tricks and technique to out-class Grundy and capture a unanimous decision win. It was a solid performance for the former UFC bantamweight king, but it was Sterling’s post-match interview that made the most noise.
After his victory, Sterling took the microphone and proceeded to call out O’Malley for a rematch. Sterling had won nine-straight prior to his knockout loss to “Sugar” so a rematch seems likely. If not, Sterling wants O’Malley to bite the bullet and fight teammate and long-time friend, Merab Dvalishvili.
“I got a message for Mr. Sugar Tits,” said Sterling (shown in the above video player). “Give me my rematch or fight Merab [Dvalishvili]. It’s that simple. Stop ducking the top contenders and be a man. Be a world champion and fight the best of the best. That’s what I did. Now you need to turn around and do the same exact sh-t.”
Sterling, who is widely considered one of the best bantamweight fighters in UFC history, is hoping the promotion grants him his wish and sets up the rematch with O’Malley. “Funk Master” has longed teased a move up to the featherweight class so if UFC gives O’Malley anyone else fight fans should expect Sterling to hit the 145-pound division sometime in 2024.