At the end of June it was announced that a featherweight fight between Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling would take place as the CO-Main event for the expected return from the UFC to China. The event, which is planned for August 23, is crucial for both athletes who have strong reasons to want to win. Especially for Sterling, this is his chance to settle as a title candidate in a new weight class.
From Bantamweight Champion to Featherweight challenger
After he had conquered the division of 135 pounds as a former Bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling moved to the Vederweight Division last year after he had given his title to Sean O’Malley. His trip to this new weight class started reasonably well with a decision victory on Calvin Kattar before he lost the unbeaten Movsar Evloev in December 2024.
This fight against Brian Ortega is important for Sterling, who wants to position itself in a higher ranking and as a potential championship winner.
Ortega also wants to remain relevant in the photo of the featherweight. He is challenged twice for the title against Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, but was not successful on both occasions. He comes in with a 1-3 record about his last four performances, so the bet is just as high for him.
How Sterling’s fighting styles squares against Ortega
The technology of Sterling is a combination of wrestling and striking. And his physical strength is one of the best in the division. Ortega, on the other hand, is known as a dangerous submission specialist with impressive striking skills. Their fighting styles suggest a competitive and exciting matchup, especially if it touches the ground, because both have effective gripping skills.
Fighting styles are an important factor that determines how a fight will work. SportyTrader always regards these and other statistics as the most accurate predictions. You can view SportyTrader for early predictions about Ortega-Sterling and others UFC Expert Picks for tonight.
Match Details
This event marks the fourth that is held on mainland China and the eighth general in Groot -China. It is also the first UFC event that has been held in China since 2017 and will be planned in the Shanghai Indoor Arena in the Xuhui district. Ortega-Sterling is the Co-Main event on the Vecht card. The headliner of the UFC Fight Night is the light heavyweight fight between Jonhhy Walker vs Zhang Mingyang. It starts At 11:00 AM UTC on Saturday, August 23, 2025.
Sterling is recommended as the favorite to win because of his physical strength and mix of techniques. But as we have mentioned, this is an equally important fight for Ortega, so both will be highly motivated. This is definitely a great match to mark the return from the UFC to China.
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