UFC president Dana White says Alajamain Sterling will get a bantamweight title shot – but he’ll have to wait for it.
In 88 seconds, Sterling (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) defeated fellow top contender Cory Sandhagen with a rear-naked choke Saturday night at UFC 250. The fight was Sterling’s fifth consecutive victory, leading many to question if he could potentially slide into the next title fight at 135 pounds.
At the UFC 250 post-fight news conference, White put an end to that question. The previously mentioned vacant title fight between Jose Aldo and Petr Yan still will happen next.
“That Matt Serra Brazilian jiu-jitsu?” White told MMA Junkie. “Well, you guys know what the next fight is. But, yeah, he’ll get the next fight after that. … I think (Aldo vs. Yan) is done.”
There is no known date or location for Aldo (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) vs. Yan (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC). However, White has indicated in past interviews the title fight will take place on “Fight Island.”
Aldo, 33, is coming off back-to-back losses to UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and fellow bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic disrupting the UFC’s schedule, he was scheduled to face Henry Cejudo for the title on May 9 in Brazil.
Yan, 27, has yet to lose a UFC bout. En route to his first UFC title opportunity, Yan defeated Jin Soo Son, Douglas Andrade, John Dodson, Jimmie Rivera, and most recently Urijah Faber. Yan was scheduled to headline the UFC’s first event in Kazakhstan on June 13 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UFC 250 took place Saturday at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The main card streamed on pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
