The UFC’s bantamweight division has been stagnant and fight bookings have been scarce. Injuries have been the driving force behind that (see: Cruz, Dominick and Assuncao, Raphael), which has led to some talented fighters unable to secure themselves additional bouts. Long Island’s Aljamain Sterling is one of those men, having fought just once this year. He’s been very vocal on Twitter asking for a fight against virtually anyone who is available, whether it’s Johnny Eduardo, Bryan Caraway, Mitch Gagnon, etc. Today on The MMA Hour, Sterling announced that he will be fighting on December 10th against Johnny Eduardo at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Sterling (11-0) submitted perennial top 10 fighter Takeya Mizugaki at UFC on FOX in April. He’s 3-0 in the UFC with finishes against Mizugaki and Hugo Viana. He’s widely regarded as one of the best prospects in the sport at just 26 years old, and is expected to be a title challenger within the next 1-2 years. Last week, Sterling even suggested that he would take an indefinite break from MMA to go back to school and pursue a full time job. It’s also worth noting that this is the last fight on his contract.
Eduardo (27-9) pulled off one of the shocks of 2014 when he KO’d former title challenger Eddie Wineland at UFC Fight Night in Cincinnati. The 37-year-old Brazilian hasn’t fought since then, with injuries setting him back significantly, in addition to his role as Nova Uniao’s Muay Thai coach. Eduardo has been with the UFC since 2011 and has just 3 fights inside the Octagon.
UFC Fight Night on December 10th will be headlined by strawweights Paige VanZant and Joanne Calderwood exclusively on Fight Pass.
Oh, and just one more thing. Sterling joined in on taking a stand against the NAC following the Nick Diaz suspension, indicating that he would join Henry Cejudo on the list of fighters who wouldn’t compete in Nevada. Sterling’s next fight is in? Nevada. Hey, we all have bills to pay, and Long Island is one of the most expensive regions in the country.
@MMAFighting I second that statement. Fighters should stand up together and let the NSAC know they need to be unbiased & give a fair process
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMaster_UFC) September 16, 2015
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