Aljamain Sterling will take on Brian Ortega this weekend at UFC Fight Night Shanghai in the Co-Main event of the map. It is a big moment in the career of both men, and with Ortega -arranged number five and Sterling -arranged number seven in the Federweight Division, it can be a huge moment that forms the featherweight division. With Lerone Murphy Everything except the next challenger of Alexander Volkanovski for the leash of featherweight, this fight can lead to a number one competition for the winner of the competition.
This will be the third fight of Sterling in the case of featherweight. His first fight in the division saw him beat Calvin Kattar through a unanimous decision in a dominant way. His second fight in the division saw him losing a close decision to Movsar Evloev in one of the most entertaining battles of the year. Sterling has an unmistakable pedigree in the UFC, as has demonstrated its time in the Bantam weight division. He was champion of the division and had three title defenses, with victories over people like Petr Yan, TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo. His time in the division has cemented its name as one of the Bantamweight big ones. Sterling is well completed, but struggling is where he shines the most. His second victory against Petr Yan showed that more than any other fight, where he was able to consistently protect body three corners against Yan and to control the fight, eventually winning the decision.
Ortega comes in a poor form in this fight, with three losses in his last four. He has only fought three times since his loss of September 2021 against Volkanovski due to recurring problems with injury. His last fight against Diego Lopes saw him losing through a unanimous decision, where he was surpassed by Lopes on the feet. Ortega is an extremely talented grappler, with eight of his 16 wins that come through submission. His most recent victory against Yair Rodriguez showed that he still has his final assets, because he won that fight through entry on the third round. A victory for Ortega would be huge for his career path. If he can win this fight, it pushes his name back in the title photo.
This fight will come down on who can dominate the grasp fairs. Both hunters are extremely talented on the floor, so it will be interesting to see how they approach this matchup. Expect on the feet that Sterling tries to keep the distance with his use of legs, while Ortega will probably try to use his boxing to close the distance and impose his wrestling.
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