UFC featherweight contender Aljamain Sterling has officially called out Jean Silve for a title eliminator at 145 lbs.
Sterling and Silva are two of the top-five-ranked contenders at 145 lbs, and both men are hoping to get the next featherweight title shot against the winner of UFC 333’s title fight between champion Alexander Volkanovski and challenger Movsar Evloev.
While Silva believes he is next in line after submitting Jose Delgado at Noche UFC last week, Sterling thinks the best way to determine the next title challenger is to have the two men fight in a title eliminator at 145 lbs.
Aljamain Sterling Wants Jean Silva
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Sterling made it clear that he wants Silva next.
“Even if it’s a Fight Night, I don’t give a (expletive). December, run that (expletive) Run that (expletive). Run that (expletive). All I’m saying is, I want to give him the fair opportunity to heal, be ready, be the best version of himself, and I would love to have that fight. I want to fight the fights that make the most sense; the biggest names, the fights that get me somewhere. Not just taking random fights just to say I fought this guy. Bro, I don’t give a (expletive). I’m 37. It’s time to (expletive) or get off the pot,” Sterling said (via MMAFighting.com).
“I’m gonna be fair; I’m gonna do the right thing and say, I want you at your best. Take the time, heal up, let’s run this (explosive) for December, and we do this and see who is the clear-cut No. 1 contender. Because if Evloev wins, you know he’s not fighting any time soon. He’s got Ramadan coming up. The division’s gonna be in a standstill position, and nothing’s gonna happen for a while. So the most common sense thing, in my personal opinion, is to let us figure it out, and see who wins. We both stay busy, stay active, and get a clear-cut No. 1 contender for the title. I don’t think it’s rocket science, at all.”
Fight Makes Sense for Both Men
While Silva believes he is the next man in line for a title shot at 145 lbs, a fight between Sterling and Silva makes a lot of sense, as each fighter currently doesn’t have a fight booked and each could use another paycheck before they fight for the belt, which likely wouldn’t happen until mid-2027 based on how often Volkanovski and Evloev fight.
If Silva wants to keep waiting around for a title shot, then it would be understandable. But at the same time, we know how quickly this sport moves, and injuries can happen that completely change the way the divisions move around. So, it’s usually not a good idea to wait around.
With Silva taking very little damage against Delgado, it would make a lot of sense for him to fight one more title before he gets a title shot at 145 lbs, and with Sterling also hoping to fight for the belt, a title eliminator makes the most sense.
Aljamain Sterling Calls out Jean Silva