Sterling: I'm 'next in line' for featherweight title shot with UFC 300 win

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling believes a victory in his featherweight debut could lead to a title shot.

Sterling is scheduled to move up to 145 pounds for the first time in his Octagon career against No. 8-ranked contender Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 on April 13 in Las Vegas.

"If I beat (Kattar) the way that I think I'm capable of doing, I think I'm right next in line for a title shot," Sterling said Monday on "The MMA Hour." "I don't think that's too far-fetched of a thing. I mean, you look at the guys at the top, they've already fought for the belt. If (featherweight champion Alexander) Volkanovski wins again, I think the door's wide-open."

Volkanovski, the longest-reigning active champion in the promotion, will defend his title for the sixth time against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 on Feb. 17. If Topuria wins the belt, an immediate rematch may occur. Otherwise, there won't be a clear-cut No. 1 contender.

No. 5-ranked featherweight Movsar Evloev, who defeated Arnold Allen by unanimous decision at UFC 297 earlier in January, has the strongest argument for the next title shot after Topuria. But UFC CEO Dana White was critical of Evloev's performance and didn't seem keen on giving the Russian a crack at the belt.

"It's nice to see other people get to feel what I feel," laughed Sterling, who's dealt with criticism from the UFC brass in the past.

He added: "I like to see Dana spread it around."

"Funk Master" decided to move up to the featherweight division after dropping the 135-pound title to Sean O'Malley at UFC 292 last August. Sterling, 34, became champion in 2021 and successfully defended the belt three times.