Aljamain Sterling's reign as bantamweight champion came to an end at UFC 292 this past weekend when he suffered a second-round TKO defeat to Sean O'Malley in Boston, Mass. Although he was expected to move up to featherweight following the fight, things have changed now that he lost his title as well as suffered his first defeat since Dec. 2017.
He could still move up to 145 or he could remain at bantamweight for the time being and leave the division on his own terms. So with that said, here are five potential opponents for Aljamain Sterling following his UFC 292 defeat.
Sean O'Malley rematch
This is Sterling's main preference and it's no secret that he wants an immediate rematch with O'Malley. While his plan was to move up to featherweight, that was mainly contingent on him winning. But with a loss, he can't leave the division on his terms. Additionally, he felt the stoppage was a bit early which is why he feels the result wasn't that definitive.
“I would love to have a rematch,” Sterling said post-fight. “… I don’t know which ways I’m going to go with things. I would first and foremost love a chance to run that back and just to get some definitive answers.”
Rematch 2024. Game of inches. I’ll be back.
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) August 22, 2023
There are some roadblocks for Sterling, though. For starters, O'Malley is already looking ahead to a new opponent in Marlon Vera for December. Then there's his murky relationship with UFC president Dana White who he hasn't seen eye-to-eye with in the past. While an immediate rematch is possible — and more than warranted given Sterling's body of work — it wouldn't surprise anyone at all if he didn't end up getting it.
Cory Sandhagen rematch
If the rematch doesn't pan out, Sterling could opt for another rematch with Cory Sandhagen. Sterling notably defeated Sandhagen by putting him to sleep in under two minutes back in 2020 to earn his shot at the bantamweight title. Since then, Sandhagen has bounced back with five wins in his next seven, including an ongoing three-fight winning streak. There was already an argument for Sandhagen to get the next shot had Sterling defended his title.
So if Vera ends up fighting O'Malley, why not run things back again? Sterling is certainly confident in his chances three years on. “Guys, there’s not much different that I can say will happen in the rematch other than it might go a little bit longer,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel earlier this month.
Henry Cejudo rematch
Another rematch for Sterling could come in the form of Henry Cejudo. Now yes, they did just fight three months ago at UFC 288 in a contest that Sterling just about edged in a split decision. However, Cejudo — and many others — feel he did more than enough to get the victory.
It's very evident that Cejudo wants to become a two-time bantamweight champion before going on to move up and fight Alexander Volkanovski. He'd be right in the mix for a bantamweight title shot if he were to defeat a former champion in Sterling and exact revenge in the process. For Sterling, it'd also be a chance to get the next title shot as well as eliminate all doubt. Just like he wants definitive answers against O'Malley, the same can be said for Cejudo.
Petr Yan trilogy
One particularly interesting option for “Funk Master” is a trilogy fight with Petr Yan. Sterling became the bantamweight champion after Yan was disqualified in their first meeting. The rematch was much more competitive and saw Sterling edge it with a unanimous decision win. However, much like the Cejudo fight, many felt Yan was deserving of the win.
Both fighters are coming off losses — Yan is on a three-fight losing streak — and both fighters would probably like to make a definitive statement in a trilogy. A win for either man would also likely set them up for a title shot again. Let's run it back one more time.
Move up and fight Yair Rodriguez
The defeat is still fresh for Sterling and although he wants an immediate rematch, perhaps in time, he'll decide to move up to featherweight like he originally planned. While it would be nice for him to leave 135 with a win, it's still a struggle for him to make the weight and it'll only be better for his long-term health if he makes the permanent move up.
Plus, there's no real shame in losing to O'Malley — after all, he's one of the best strikers in the UFC. So why not move up instead? An instant title shot isn't happening anymore, but perhaps with a win over a top contender like Yair Rodriguez, Sterling could set himself up for a shot at Alexander Volkanovski and potentially become a two-weight champion.
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