Rising star Aljamain Sterling is coming off of the biggest win of his MMA career, as he defeated former UFC bantamweight Champion Renan Barao on the preliminary card of UFC 214.
Sterling is tired of competing on the preliminary card and would like his next fight to be on the main card of a UFC event.
“Honestly, my next fight better be on the goddamn main card. I’m not even kidding at this point,” Sterling told MMA Junkie. “This is beyond ridiculous if you ask me. (UFC 214) was a blockbuster card on paper, so I get that, but I’m like, ‘Wow, you guys got Barao, a former world champ, on the undercard.’ It’s kind of crazy. But I think I deserve my fair shake at this point. I think I have a big enough name now. I’m eight fights into my UFC career. So, why not? Let’s start making some real money, man. I’m in this sport to change my life. I’m in this sport to change my parents’ lives and the loved ones around me. That’s really what I care about. And I can’t do that if they keep putting me on these prelims.”
The bantamweight fighter has already competed eight times in the UFC and all eight of those fights have been preliminary card fights.
Not only does Sterling want a fight on the main card of a UFC event, but he wants a better contract from the promotion as well.
“So I’m like, ‘Man, I’ve just got to go out there and win, beat some good guys, and I should be able to get a new contract based on increased popularity.’ I think it makes sense. Why not? At this point, why should I have to fight out four more fights at that rate when they’re going to be making more money? It just doesn’t make any sense to me,” says Sterling.
There are still many UFC cards left in 2017, it is unknown at this time when Sterling’s next fight would be and where it is going to be placed on the card.
