American · Uniondale, USA · Born 31 July 1989American who won bantamweight gold via DQ over Petr Yan, defended three straight times, then lost to Sean O'Malley and moved to featherweight.
Aljamain Antoine Sterling was born on 31 July 1989 in Uniondale, New York, to Jamaican parents, Cleveland and Sophie Sterling, one of seven full siblings and at least a dozen half-siblings. To avoid the gang activity that drew in some of his brothers, he took up wrestling at Uniondale High School in 2004, later becoming a two-time NCAA Division III All-American at SUNY Cortland with an 87-27 career record. Sterling turned professional in 2010, nicknamed "Funk Master" for his awkward, improvisational scrambling style, and developed into one of the most successful bantamweights in UFC history, training under Ray Longo and Matt Serra at Serra-Longo Fight Team. Sterling won the UFC Bantamweight Championship in March 2021, becoming the first champion in UFC history to win a title by disqualification after an accidental illegal knee from T.J. Dillashaw, a controversial beginning to a reign that he went on to legitimise with three further successful title defences. Sterling lost the bantamweight title to Sean O'Malley in 2023 and moved up to featherweight, continuing to compete at the top level of the UFC, and remains one of the most accomplished fighters to have emerged from Long Island's amateur wrestling scene.
Most consecutive UFC bantamweight title defenses (3)
How They Played
Sterling is primarily known for his elite grappling and submission game, with particular expertise in rear naked chokes and ground control. He combines strong wrestling fundamentals with fluid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu transitions, making him dangerous whenever the fight goes to the ground.
Lasting Impact
Sterling helped elevate the technical grappling standards in the UFC bantamweight division and proved that elite submission specialists can still thrive at the highest levels of modern MMA.
Career Honours
- UFC Bantamweight Champion 2021-2023
American Athletes