Aljamain Sterling sides with former rival as Dana White snubs title shot for UFC 314
Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling questions Diego Lopes fighting top contender Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 314.
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Aljamain Sterling wanted another opponent for Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 314 (via Imago/X)
The UFC featherweight division is currently one of the most entertaining among all weight classes. With Ilia Topuria vacating the belt, Dana White has announced Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes for the title. The fight will take place at UFC 314 in Miami, but Aljamain Sterling isn’t a fan of it.
Alexander Volkanovski was already in line for the title shot against Topuria, but certain fans raised questions about Lopes’ credentials. Many fans believed that undefeated fighter Movsar Evloev should have received the opportunity. In a recent tweet, rival Aljamain Sterling talked about it in detail.
Definitely should’ve been Movsar but of course, no fighter in their rightful mind, will ever turn down a title shot because they think “it’s the right thing to do”, so that someone more deserving gets it
Aljamain Sterling via X
After losing his bantamweight title, Sterling moved up and wanted to fight for the 145-lbs title. He picked up a win but was ultimately lost to Movsar Evloev via decision. Despite that, the former champion was honest about his opinions about the Russian deserving the title shot.
Definitely should’ve been Movsar but of course, no fighter in their rightful mind, will ever turn down a title shot because they think “it’s the right thing to do”, so that someone more deserving gets it https://t.co/ZjXVqvxPCV
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) February 22, 2025
Evloev also had a victory over Diego Lopes back in 2023, but that was the Brazilian’s debut, which he took it on short-notice. However, the Brazilian has remained more active and picked up more victories since that loss. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see who fights Evloev next in the division.
Former UFC champion is ready to prove his haters wrong at UFC 314
Alexander Volkanovski’s downfall began with his knockout loss to Islam Makhachev, a fight that he took on 11 days notice while consuming alcohol before the training camp. His quick turnaround for Ilia Topuria proved costly, as he suffered another knockout, raising concerns about his durability. The featherweight division has evolved, with younger and hungrier contenders since then.
Many assume that aging and accumulated damage diminished his speed, reflexes, and ability to absorb punishment. However, at UFC 314, the ‘Great’ has promised to prove his haters wrong. After the fight announcement, the fighter shared a YouTube video and talked about it.
Lopes, obviously a dangerous dude. A bit of a different matchup to Ilia. Obviously, both are dangerous fighters. I’m really looking forward to this one, very excited. Excited to show everyone — people are like, ‘Oh, he’s old, he’s done!’ I hope people are thinking that. Everyone knows I love the underdog story, I love to prove people wrong.
Alexander Volkanovski via his YouTube channel
Volkanovski still has a massive advantage when it comes to the five-round experience. This time, he has taken enough rest in between fights. Diego Lopes is an incredible striker and has the ability to shock his opponents. It will be interesting to see whether the featherweight legend can still hang with the young blood.
Related: Is Alexander Volkanovski a chef? Learn about UFC featherweight champ’s impressive cooking skills
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Ameetosh Dash
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