Aljamain Sterling Bio
Aljamain Antoine Sterling, born on July 31, 1989, is an American professional mixed martial artist competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former UFC Bantamweight Champion and currently fights in the UFC’s Featherweight division. Known by the nickname “Funk Master,” Sterling holds the historic distinction of being the first UFC champion to win a title by disqualification. He has been a mainstay of the UFC’s 135-pound and 145-pound ranks since 2014, earning a reputation for elite grappling, creative wrestling, and relentless cardio.
Born to Jamaican parents and raised on Long Island, Sterling built his fighting foundation in collegiate wrestling before transitioning to mixed martial arts in 2010. A two-time NCAA Division III All-American, he has built his professional career out of the renowned Serra-Longo Fight Team, where he has trained alongside several championship-level teammates. A black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Sterling blends high-level wrestling with dangerous submission skills, making him one of the most well-rounded competitors of his era.
Early Life and Background
Aljamain Antoine Sterling was born on July 31, 1989, in Uniondale, New York, to Jamaican parents Cleveland and Sophia Sterling. He grew up alongside seven full siblings and at least a dozen half-siblings in a working-class Long Island household. Seeking an outlet away from the gang pressures that affected some of his brothers, Sterling began wrestling in 2004 at Uniondale High School, where the sport quickly became his central focus.
Unable to meet the academic standards to compete at the Division I wrestling level out of high school, Sterling enrolled at Morrisville State College, where he continued his wrestling career. During that period, a chance encounter with fellow fighter Jon Jones introduced him to the world of mixed martial arts. After his freshman year, Sterling transferred to the State University of New York at Cortland, where he became a two-time NCAA Division III All-American, compiling a 87–27 record. He graduated from Cortland with a bachelor’s degree in physical education.
Sterling’s unusual and unpredictable grappling earned him the lifelong nickname “The Funk Master,” a moniker tied directly to his unorthodox wrestling style. The blend of athleticism, creativity, and academic discipline shaped him into a well-rounded athlete before he ever stepped into a professional cage.
Path to MMA
Sterling’s introduction to mixed martial arts came while studying at Cortland, when Jon Jones invited him to try a session at The BombSquad gym in Ithaca, New York. A few fights into his professional career, Sterling transitioned his training to the prestigious Serra-Longo Fight Team, where he has remained and refined his striking, wrestling, and submission skills.
He launched his amateur career in 2009, scoring a submission win in his debut and ultimately compiling a 6–1 amateur record, capturing the Raging Wolf amateur Bantamweight Championship and the Extreme FC amateur Featherweight Championship along the way. Sterling turned professional in 2010 and quickly won the Ring of Combat Bantamweight Championship. He then signed with Cage Fury Fighting Championships, where he won the CFFC Bantamweight Championship and defended it three times, finishing every title defense by rear-naked choke. Those performances earned him an opportunity to compete in the UFC.
Aljamain Sterling Career
Early Career (2010–2014)
Sterling began his professional career in 2010 and immediately found success, winning the Ring of Combat Bantamweight Championship before moving to Cage Fury Fighting Championships. His CFFC run featured a victory over Evan Chmieleski by technical knockout with two seconds left in the first round, followed by a unanimous decision win over Sean Santella to claim the CFFC Bantamweight Championship. He defended that title three times, finishing all three opponents by rear-naked choke.
The dominant CFFC run caught the attention of the UFC, and Sterling made his promotional debut at UFC 170 in 2014 against Cody Gibson after both Lucas Martins and Bryan Caraway withdrew from the bout. He won by unanimous decision, then added a second-round technical knockout over Hugo Viana at UFC Fight Night 45. By the end of 2014, Sterling had established himself as an intriguing new bantamweight prospect with strong wrestling credentials and a dangerous submission game.
UFC Rise and Title Push (2015–2020)
From 2015 through 2017, Sterling quietly built a winning record inside the Octagon, defeating the likes of Takeya Mizugaki, Johnny Eduardo, and Augusto Mendes while dropping narrow decisions to Bryan Caraway and Raphael Assunção. He suffered a setback in late 2017 when he was knocked out by Marlon Moraes in the first round, but he bounced back with a string of victories over Brett Johns, Cody Stamann, Jimmie Rivera, and Pedro Munhoz to position himself as a top contender.
In June 2020, Sterling headlined against Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250 in a bantamweight title eliminator, winning by first-round submission and earning his first Performance of the Night bonus. The victory set the stage for a championship opportunity against Petr Yan.
UFC Bantamweight Championship (2021–2023)
Sterling challenged Petr Yan for the UFC Bantamweight Championship on March 6, 2021, at UFC 259. In one of the most unusual title fights in UFC history, Sterling won by disqualification in the fourth round after Yan delivered an intentional illegal knee, becoming the first fighter in UFC history to win a championship by disqualification. The result was controversial and immediately set up a rematch.
After a withdrawal from UFC 267 due to lingering neck issues, Sterling finally defended his title against Yan at UFC 273 on April 9, 2022, winning a close split decision. Eleven of eighteen MMA media outlets scored the bout for Sterling. He followed that with a second-round TKO victory over T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280 in October 2022 and a split decision win over Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 in May 2023, retaining the belt three times. Sterling’s title reign ended at UFC 292 in August 2023, when he was stopped by Sean O’Malley in the second round and lost the bantamweight crown.
Featherweight Era (2024–Present)
Following the loss to O’Malley, Sterling announced his move up to the featherweight division. He made his 145-pound debut against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 in April 2024 and won by unanimous decision, later admitting he had considered retirement had he lost the bout. A scheduled October 2024 matchup with Movsar Evloev fell through due to a sparring injury, and the bout was rescheduled for UFC 310, where Sterling lost by unanimous decision.
Sterling returned to the win column on August 23, 2025, at UFC Fight Night 257, defeating former title challenger Brian Ortega by unanimous decision in a 153-pound catchweight contest. As of late August 2025, he sits at number five in the official UFC featherweight rankings.
Driving Style and Strengths
Aljamain Antoine Sterling’s fighting style is built on relentless wrestling pressure, creative top control, and an opportunistic submission game that has accounted for eight of his professional victories. His cardio allows him to maintain a high pace through three or five rounds, and his unorthodox angles and grip fighting give opponents fits. The nickname “Funk Master” reflects both his grappling creativity and his willingness to scramble from unconventional positions. Working with the Serra-Longo Fight Team has allowed him to sharpen his boxing and clinch work alongside some of the best coaches and training partners in the sport.
Notable Events and Milestones
Sterling’s signature moment remains his disqualification win over Petr Yan at UFC 259, a result that made him the first UFC champion ever to claim a title by disqualification. He also earned Performance of the Night honors for his first-round submission of Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250 and stopped T.J. Dillashaw in the second round at UFC 280 to retain his bantamweight strap. His two-time NCAA Division III All-American wrestling status and his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu further cement his standing as one of the most credentialed grapplers in UFC history.
Aljamain Sterling Career Wins
Across his professional career, Aljamain Antoine Sterling has compiled a verified record of 25 wins against 5 losses, with finishes coming by way of two knockouts, eight submissions, and three decisions, along with one disqualification victory. He is a former Ring of Combat Bantamweight Champion, a former Cage Fury Fighting Championships Bantamweight Champion, and a former UFC Bantamweight Champion.
UFC and Major Organization Highlights
Inside the UFC, Sterling has earned notable victories over Cody Gibson, Hugo Viana, Takeya Mizugaki, Johnny Eduardo, Augusto Mendes, Renan Barão, Brett Johns, Cody Stamann, Jimmie Rivera, Pedro Munhoz, Cory Sandhagen, Petr Yan, T.J. Dillashaw, Henry Cejudo, Calvin Kattar, and Brian Ortega. His UFC title victories came at UFC 259, UFC 273, UFC 280, and UFC 288, while his most recent Octagon win came over Brian Ortega at UFC Fight Night 257 in August 2025.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the UFC, Sterling won the Ring of Combat Bantamweight Championship and the Cage Fury Fighting Championships Bantamweight Championship, defending the CFFC title three times by rear-naked choke. He has also competed in submission grappling, defeating Damien Nitkin at High Rollerz 18, Mike Grundy at Polaris 25, Chase Hooper at ADXC 2, and Jay Jay Wilson at Karate Combat’s Pit Submission Series 7.
Aljamain Sterling Family
Family Background and Lineage
Aljamain Antoine Sterling was raised by his Jamaican-born parents, Cleveland and Sophia Sterling, in Uniondale, New York. He grew up in a large family that included seven full siblings and at least a dozen half-siblings, an upbringing that helped him stay grounded amid the pressures of inner-ring Long Island life. Several of his brothers were exposed to gang activity during his youth, which Sterling has often cited as motivation for channeling his energy into wrestling and academics.
Personal Life
Sterling currently resides in Massapequa, New York, where he trains and prepares for competition. A Division III wrestler turned black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he is widely regarded as a cerebral and articulate voice in the sport, frequently appearing on MMA media outlets to break down fights and discuss the business of combat sports.
2025 Season Performance
Aljamain Antoine Sterling’s 2025 campaign has been a story of recovery and renewed momentum in the UFC featherweight division. After a unanimous decision loss to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310 in December 2024, Sterling rebounded with a statement win over former title challenger Brian Ortega at UFC Fight Night 257 on August 23, 2025, in a catchweight bout originally booked at featherweight.
That victory pushed Sterling back into the upper tier of the featherweight rankings, where he sits at number five as of late August 2025. The win also reinforced his standing as one of the most dangerous grapplers at 145 pounds and a credible threat to any contender in the division. With his training base at Serra-Longo Fight Team and a healthy 2025 behind him, Sterling has positioned himself to chase another world title opportunity in the near future.