Aljamain Sterling secured a lopsided decision win in the UFC Shanghai co-main event over a largely inactive Brian Ortega in what ultimately transformed into a 153-pound catchtweight fight on Saturday.
Originally slated for featherweight, Ortega reportedly struggled getting down to 146 pounds for the non-title fight so the matchup was changed to a catchweight. The struggles making weight seemed to show in Ortega’s performance as he just didn’t have much output while Sterling was popping him with stiff
jabs and solid striking throughout the five-round affair.
In the end, all three judges scored the fight 50-45 with Sterling getting the nod while returning to the win column after falling to Movsar Evloev in his previous outing.
“I think their game plan was to gas me out late,” Sterling said after his win. “I still got a little tired there. The gas tank ain’t what it used to be but I’m still pushing. I wasn’t trying to get knocked out in China.
“I think I’ve done enough in this game … respect, [Alexander] Volkanovksi is the f*cking man but I would love an opportunity to fight for the title again.”
In a battle between two noted grapplers, Sterling and Ortega appeared content to deal with each other on the feet as the action got underway. Sterling largely stuck behind his jab while also chipping away at Ortega with some solid leg kicks, both on the inside and outside.
Sterling stayed the busier fighter chipping away but never overextending himself, although he wasn’t facing much danger from a largely inactive Ortega. A stiff right hand from Sterling popped Ortega in the eye and he immediately started wincing but appeared to complain that he got poked in the eye.
Referee Herb Dean told him a punch landed, not an eye poke — and replays confirmed as much — but the fight was still paused momentarily, which actually gave Ortega a moment to recover.
As the fight moved into the third round, Ortega finally started working more, throwing some stiff kicks but he was still eating a barrage of jabs from Sterling that had his head snapping back. Sterling also cracked him with another nasty leg kick that actually took Ortega off his feet momentarily.
Ortega finally got a little more aggressive but Sterling was still tagging him with the faster, more accurate punches while circling away from any potential danger. With Ortega moving forward, Sterling stayed patient and just peppered him with counters and never allowed him to gain any real momentum.
Late in the fourth round, Sterling connected with his first takedown as he maintained his position on top with some ground and pound while also defending from a potential submission attempt coming back from Ortega.
With five minutes remaining, Ortega connected with his best punch all fight when he cracked Sterling with a stiff right hand that had the former bantamweight champion backing up. Ortega went on the attack with Sterling moving away and avoiding a potential comeback before snatching a takedown to bring the fight back down to the floor.
Time ticked away with Sterling popping Ortega with some hard shots on the ground as he cruised to victory in the co-main event.
While not exactly a barnburner, Sterling looked good in what was supposed to be his third featherweight fight, although it seems unlikely he’ll get his wish for a title shot next. As for Ortega, he falls to 1-4 in his past five fights and with this weight cutting issue, it’s possible his days at featherweight are numbered.
