Aljamain Sterling says UFC considering four-man bantamweight tournament for next title shot

UFC bantamweight contender Aljamain Sterling says the UFC is considering booking a four-man tournament to determine the next contender at 135lbs.

It was officially announced on Monday that UFC bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo will take on Jose Aldo in the main event of UFC 250 on May 9 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. By giving Aldo the title shot, it left the other top contenders at 135lbs without the opportunity to fight for the belt even though there are at least four other fighters more deserving based on merit.

According to Sterling in a new interview with MMAFighting.com, the UFC is now considering booking Sterling, Petr Yan, Marlon Moraes and Cory Sandhagen in a four-man tournament to determine who should be next in line to fight the winner of Cejudo vs. Aldo. Moraes, Sterling, Yan, and Sandhagen are the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 ranked bantamweight on the UFC roster respectively.

If that’s indeed what the UFC plans on doing, then Sterling says he wants to fight Yan on one side of the bracket.

”I think we’re the only two people that have been talked about in terms of getting a title shot or should fight for an interim title. So I think if that’s the fight to make, then why not let us figure it out and see who deserves to get the next shot? That’s the best way to do it. The gentleman’s way,” Sterling said.

The idea of a bantamweight tournament would certainly make sense considering all four of Moraes, Sterling, Yan, and Sandhagen have excellent arguments that they should have fought Cejudo instead of Aldo. But the UFC gave Aldo the crack at the belt and that means these four contenders will now have to duke it out and see what’s next for them.

Do you like the idea that Aljamain Sterling presented about a four-man bantamweight tournament to determine who should fight for the title next?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 2/25/2020.