No. 8-ranked bantamweight Aljamain Sterling was originally scheduled to take on Rani Yahya at UFC Fight Night Fresno on Dec. 9, 2017, but Yahya was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury. Since then, the “Funkmaster” has been campaigning heavily for a fight with No. 4-ranked Jimmie Rivera, who was slated to […]
No. 8-ranked bantamweight Aljamain Sterling was originally scheduled to take on Rani Yahya at UFC Fight Night Fresno on Dec. 9, 2017, but Yahya was forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury.
Since then, the “Funkmaster” has been campaigning heavily for a fight with No. 4-ranked Jimmie Rivera, who was slated to meet ex-champion Dominick Cruz at Dec. 30’s UFC 219 prior to Cruz suffering an injury, but he ultimately didn’t receive his wish.
Instead, he’ll take on former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) 135-pound champion Marlon Moraes. MMAJunkie reported the news, and Sterling later confirmed it on his official Twitter account.
Moraes holds a professional record of 19-5-1, but he’s just 1-1 since entering the UFC earlier this year. He dropped a split-decision loss to Raphael Assuncao last June before scoring a split-decision victory over former two-time flyweight title challenger John Dodson at UFC 217 earlier this month in New York City. Ironically, Moraes also called out Rivera after his win over Dodson, but in the end, he agreed to step up on short notice to take on Sterling.
UFC Fight Night 123 is set to be headlined by a featherweight tilt between Cub Swanson and Brian Ortega.
It looks like Aljamain Sterling has found his replacement opponent. MMAJunkie.com is reporting that Sterling is set to clash with Marlon Moraes on Dec. 9. The bout will take place inside the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Moraes is filling in …
It looks like Aljamain Sterling has found his replacement opponent. MMAJunkie.com is reporting that Sterling is set to clash with Marlon Moraes on Dec. 9. The bout will take place inside the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Moraes is filling in for Rani Yayha, who was pulled from the card due to an injury. […]
Jimmie Rivera doesn’t see the benefit of fighting Aljamain Sterling. Rivera was scheduled to face Dominick Cruz inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada at UFC 219. The bantamweight bout was set to take place on Dec. 30. It’s possible…
Jimmie Rivera doesn’t see the benefit of fighting Aljamain Sterling. Rivera was scheduled to face Dominick Cruz inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada at UFC 219. The bantamweight bout was set to take place on Dec. 30. It’s possible that the winner would’ve been awarded a title shot. With Cruz injured, Rivera is […]
If Aljamain Sterling has his way, then two more victories will net him a title opportunity. On Dec. 9, Sterling will take on Rani Yahya inside the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The bout will be featured on the UFC Fight Night 123 card. Speaking to MMAJunkie.com, Sterling detailed his path to a title […]
If Aljamain Sterling has his way, then two more victories will net him a title opportunity. On Dec. 9, Sterling will take on Rani Yahya inside the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The bout will be featured on the UFC Fight Night 123 card. Speaking to MMAJunkie.com, Sterling detailed his path to a title […]
An interesting bantamweight bout has been added to the December UFC Fight Night 123 card, as Aljamain Sterling takes on Rani Yahya. Sterling (14-2) has scored wins in six of his eight overall UFC fights to date, including a recent win over former champion Renan Barao. Of his 14 career victories, six have been via […]
An interesting bantamweight bout has been added to the December UFC Fight Night 123 card, as Aljamain Sterling takes on Rani Yahya. Sterling (14-2) has scored wins in six of his eight overall UFC fights to date, including a recent win over former champion Renan Barao. Of his 14 career victories, six have been via […]
Recently, UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt and rising contender Aljamain Sterling engaged in a war of words over social media, although Sterling claimed that it went a bit too far when Garbrandt referred to him as ‘boy’, which the “Funkmaster” labeled as a racist comment. On today’s (Aug. 21, 2017) edition of The MMA Hour, […]
Recently, UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt and rising contender Aljamain Sterling engaged in a war of words over social media, although Sterling claimed that it went a bit too far when Garbrandt referred to him as ‘boy’, which the “Funkmaster” labeled as a racist comment.
On today’s (Aug. 21, 2017) edition of The MMA Hour, “No Love” admitted that he wasn’t aware of the racial ties to the word ‘boy’:
“I should have called him a little bitch, not ‘boy’, I didn’t know that it was politically incorrect,” Garbrandt said. “I got a shirt that says ‘Hanging with the boys’, I call everybody ‘boy’. You know, ‘what’s up, boy’, I didn’t know that it was politically incorrect.
“I am not in the least bit racist. I have a sister that’s married to a black guy. I have a niece that is a mixed (race) child.”
Either way, Garbrandt voiced his disliking for Sterling, while also explaining where the feud stems from:
“I don’t like that guy,” he said.
“He got all mad because over a year ago I told him that he was overrated. So the guy starts running his mouth and I see a TMZ report that he said he was going to kill me. So I was like, ‘Oh you’re going to kill me?’
“So I took a screen shot and I sent it to him in a DM and he acted like a little bitch and that’s what he is.”
The reigning 135-pound champion even went as far to say that Sterling ‘better have his hands up’ the next time the two meet in public:
“For him to go out there and try to ride off that fame, I told that fool that the next time I see him I’m going to f*ck him up,” Garbrandt said.
“He tried to tell me that I was going to get jumped and all of this, he’s just a bitch and that’s what he is. I should have called him a bitch.
“He’s coming off a win with Barao at a catchweight and I don’t even want to talk about that guy.
“I just know the next time I see him he better have his hands up.”
“No Love” is currently set to meet TJ Dillashaw at UFC 217 on Nov. 4 2017, but he could certainly meet Sterling at some point. Former champion Dominick Cruz and the red hot Jimmie Rivera are also right in the mix in regards to the title discussion.
Garbrandt, however, doesn’t seem to be concerned with any of those fighters, nor is he worried about a potential fight with dominant flyweight king Demetrious Johnson:
“That’s free money. Both those dudes (Aljamain Sterling and Jimmie Rivera) are free money for me.
“After TJ, and Dominick has come back out of retirement, whatever he wants to do, that is all free money. I like free money. I like two checks.
“Dom, Demetrious…what the hell is his name…Oh…Jimmie, and that guy that wears the fake gold chain oh, Aljamain, yeah… all of those cats, that’s free money for me.”
