Featherweight · “Funk Master”
Aljamain Sterling
26-5-0 UFC 18-5-0
Chain Wrestling
Relentless Attack
5'7"Height
71"Reach
OrthodoxStance
37Age
2KO wins
4Sub wins
33.3%Finish rate
14:22Avg fight
Skill profile
striking
good
1 read
grappling
solid
1 read
wrestling
not yet read
cardio
not yet read
durability
not yet read
Chain Wrestling
56 takedowns from 174 attempts · 2.5 landed per 15 min
Relentless Attack
87 offensive actions per 15 min — strikes, takedown and submission attempts together
Career rates — the raw numbers behind the chart
Sig. strikes landed / min4.26
Sig. strikes absorbed / min2.15
Striking accuracy52.6%
Striking defense59.2%
Knockdowns / 15 min0.0
Takedowns / 15 min2.54
Takedown accuracy32.2%
Takedown defense44.9%
Sub attempts / 15 min0.64
Control time33.1%
Record vs .500+ opponents16-4
Insider info
Aljamain Sterling favored over Youssuf Zalal lean UFC Fight Night: Sterling vs Zalal · April 19, 2026
strikinggood
grapplingsolid
Picked by the slightest of margins, with the analyst giving real additional weight to how a touch-and-move, backpedaling style tends to score poorly with judges.
No bad losses on his resume -- the only losses have come against genuinely elite-level competition, which the analyst is explicit isn't a real knock. Good striker with genuinely deceptive range thanks to unusually long arms for a fighter who came up in a lower weight class, plus a long jab that catches people off guard; good movement, kicks to all levels. Solid grappler -- shoots his takedowns low and stays low if the shot fails specifically so he can't be countered with anything but a looping shot, a real, deliberate defensive-entry technique, while still working within the rules to hunt the ankle from that low position. Scrambles well, a good back-taker, and once he takes the back he's very hard to shake off -- some of the best back control in the UFC, not just the division.
Strengthgenuinely deceptive range from unusually long arms for his weight class
Strengthdeliberate, hard-to-counter low takedown entries
Strengthsome of the best back control in the UFC once he takes the back
Striking trend
Fight history
W Youssef Zalal 18-5-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R5 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Sterling vs. Zalal · April 25, 2026
46/89Sig. strikes
35/65Absorbed
6/11Takedowns
13:49Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
W Brian Ortega 16-4 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R5 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang · August 23, 2025
124/227Sig. strikes
55/174Absorbed
3/6Takedowns
3:55Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Movsar Evloev 18-0 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 310: Pantoja vs. Asakura · December 7, 2024
12/26Sig. strikes
8/26Absorbed
6/8Takedowns
6:16Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Calvin Kattar 23-7 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 300: Pereira vs. Hill · April 13, 2024
39/71Sig. strikes
8/29Absorbed
8/13Takedowns
10:43Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Sean O'Malley 16-1 walk-in TITLE KO/TKO · R2 0:51 — UFC 292: Sterling vs. O'Malley · August 19, 2023
17/35Sig. strikes
25/35Absorbed
0/2Takedowns
0:34Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Henry Cejudo 16-2 walk-in TITLE Decision - Split · R5 5:00 — UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo · May 6, 2023
135/210Sig. strikes
99/174Absorbed
4/15Takedowns
4:00Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W TJ Dillashaw 17-4 walk-in TITLE KO/TKO · R2 3:44 — UFC 280: Oliveira vs. Makhachev · October 22, 2022
72/93Sig. strikes
8/26Absorbed
5/8Takedowns
7:06Control
0Knockdowns
2Sub attempts
W Petr Yan 16-2 walk-in TITLE Decision - Split · R5 5:00 — UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie · April 9, 2022
62/110Sig. strikes
63/103Absorbed
2/22Takedowns
8:31Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Petr Yan 15-1 walk-in TITLE DQ · R4 4:29 — UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya · March 6, 2021
97/230Sig. strikes
86/137Absorbed
1/17Takedowns
3:25Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Cory Sandhagen 12-1 walk-in Submission · R1 1:28 — UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer · June 6, 2020
2/3Sig. strikes
1/2Absorbed
0/1Takedowns
1:13Control
0Knockdowns
2Sub attempts
W Pedro Munhoz 18-3 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 238: Cejudo vs. Moraes · June 8, 2019
174/349Sig. strikes
105/265Absorbed
0/7Takedowns
0:00Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Jimmie Rivera 22-2 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Ngannou vs. Velasquez · February 17, 2019
101/176Sig. strikes
24/84Absorbed
0/7Takedowns
2:44Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Cody Stamann 17-1 walk-in Submission · R2 3:42 — UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till · September 8, 2018
33/74Sig. strikes
12/43Absorbed
2/9Takedowns
2:52Control
0Knockdowns
2Sub attempts
W Brett Johns 14-0 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee · April 21, 2018
89/152Sig. strikes
27/89Absorbed
3/9Takedowns
1:21Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Marlon Moraes 19-5-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 1:07 — UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega · December 9, 2017
3/10Sig. strikes
7/14Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:00Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Renan Barao 34-4 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 214: Cormier vs. Jones 2 · July 29, 2017
71/121Sig. strikes
19/85Absorbed
1/1Takedowns
5:40Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Augusto Mendes 6-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Reis · April 15, 2017
83/161Sig. strikes
30/91Absorbed
2/6Takedowns
6:00Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Raphael Assuncao 23-5 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC on FOX: Shevchenko vs. Pena · January 28, 2017
52/172Sig. strikes
39/101Absorbed
0/3Takedowns
0:02Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Bryan Caraway 20-7 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs Garbrandt · May 29, 2016
32/64Sig. strikes
9/31Absorbed
1/3Takedowns
3:51Control
0Knockdowns
2Sub attempts
W Johnny Eduardo 20-9 walk-in Submission · R2 4:18 — UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant · December 10, 2015
23/61Sig. strikes
4/24Absorbed
2/2Takedowns
3:28Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
W Takeya Mizugaki 20-8-2 walk-in Submission · R3 2:11 — UFC on FOX: Machida vs Rockhold · April 18, 2015
32/54Sig. strikes
13/42Absorbed
3/15Takedowns
7:35Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
W Hugo Viana 8-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R3 3:50 — UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs Miller · July 16, 2014
62/98Sig. strikes
15/46Absorbed
4/4Takedowns
8:34Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Cody Gibson 11-3 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 170: Rousey vs McMann · February 22, 2014
46/89Sig. strikes
18/53Absorbed
3/5Takedowns
7:54Control
0Knockdowns
3Sub attempts
Walk-in records count UFC bouts in this database. For the pre-UFC career, see the record breakdown below or the Tapology button up top.
Record breakdown
Wins by method
KO/TKO
3
Submission
8
Decision
14
Other
1
Losses by method
KO/TKO
2
Submission
0
Decision
3
Other
0
Fights by organization
UFC
23
Cage Fury FC
5
Ring of Combat
1
Extreme Fight Club
1
Urban Conflict Championships
1
Full career — 31 fights, every organization
| Opponent | Method | Event | Org | Rd | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | Youssef Zalal | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Sterling vs. Zalal
April 25, 2026 |
UFC | 5 | 5:00 |
| W | Brian Ortega | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Walker vs. Zhang
August 23, 2025 |
UFC | 5 | 5:00 |
| L | Movsar Evloev | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 310
December 7, 2024 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Calvin Kattar | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 300
April 13, 2024 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Sean O'Malley | TKO (punches) | UFC 292
August 19, 2023 |
UFC | 2 | 0:51 |
| W | Henry Cejudo | Decision (split) | UFC 288
May 6, 2023 |
UFC | 5 | 5:00 |
| W | T.J. Dillashaw | TKO (punches) | UFC 280
October 22, 2022 |
UFC | 2 | 3:44 |
| W | Petr Yan | Decision (split) | UFC 273
April 9, 2022 |
UFC | 5 | 5:00 |
| W | Petr Yan | DQ (illegal knee) | UFC 259
March 6, 2021 |
UFC | 4 | 4:29 |
| W | Cory Sandhagen | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 250
June 6, 2020 |
UFC | 1 | 1:28 |
| W | Pedro Munhoz | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 238
June 8, 2019 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Jimmie Rivera | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Velasquez
February 17, 2019 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Cody Stamann | Submission (Suloev stretch) | UFC 228
September 8, 2018 |
UFC | 2 | 3:42 |
| W | Brett Johns | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Barboza vs. Lee
April 21, 2018 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Marlon Moraes | KO (knee) | UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega
December 9, 2017 |
UFC | 1 | 1:07 |
| W | Renan Barão | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 214
July 29, 2017 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Augusto Mendes | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis
April 15, 2017 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Raphael Assunção | Decision (split) | UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña
January 28, 2017 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Bryan Caraway | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Garbrandt
May 29, 2016 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Johnny Eduardo | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant
December 10, 2015 |
UFC | 2 | 4:18 |
| W | Takeya Mizugaki | Submission (arm-triangle choke) | UFC on Fox: Machida vs. Rockhold
April 18, 2015 |
UFC | 3 | 2:11 |
| W | Hugo Viana | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Miller
July 16, 2014 |
UFC | 3 | 3:50 |
| W | Cody Gibson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 170
February 22, 2014 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Joel Roberts | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Cage Fury FC 30
November 2, 2013 |
Cage Fury FC | 1 | 1:49 |
| W | Sidemar Honorio | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Cage Fury FC 16
August 24, 2012 |
Cage Fury FC | 2 | 4:05 |
| W | Casey Johnson | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Cage Fury FC 14
April 14, 2012 |
Cage Fury FC | 3 | 2:11 |
| W | Sean Santella | Decision (unanimous) | Cage Fury FC 11
October 22, 2011 |
Cage Fury FC | 5 | 5:00 |
| W | Evan Chmielski | TKO (punches) | Cage Fury FC 10
July 23, 2011 |
Cage Fury FC | 1 | 4:58 |
| W | Claudio Ledesma | Decision (split) | Ring of Combat 36
June 17, 2011 |
Ring of Combat | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Harley Leimbach | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Extreme Fight Club: Bragging Rights 2
May 21, 2011 |
Extreme Fight Club | 1 | 4:01 |
| W | Sergio da Silva | Decision (unanimous) | Urban Conflict Championships 4: Supremacy
April 22, 2011 |
Urban Conflict Championships | 3 | 5:00 |
Career history from the fighter's Wikipedia record table (Aljamain Sterling) — results only, no strike stats; UFC bouts are marked and carry full stats in the fight history above.
Division context
Hero photo of Aljamain Sterling by MMAnytt · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons