Aljamain Sterling is having a hard time coming to terms with the news that Diego Lopes has been granted another title shot.
Lopes (27-7 MMA, 14-3 UFC) is set to face featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (27-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC) for the second time in 9 months when they meet in the main event at UFC 325 on January 31. The news hasn’t gone down well with the remaining contenders at 145 pounds, given how comfortably “Volk” beat Lopes when they fought at UFC 314 last April.
“I'm just trying to make it make sense in my head,” Sterling said in a video posted to his YouTube account. “I get what they're trying to do. They're trying to get us a champion that could represent Mexico and pretty much Brazil too. It's just…what is the criteria? That is all I want to know.
“I just want something that when we come into this sport, because I'm now 36, I got into this sport when I was 24, and merit used to mean something for the most part. The UFC used to be the organization, the best fights the best. Now it's, ‘are you the most popular guy? Because if you're the most popular guy and you can fight just a little bit, we'll throw you in there. As long as you can fight a little bit and beat some of the best guys or beat some favorable matchups that people might know, but it's enough for you to get a highlight win, we'll put you in that spot. And hopefully, if you're lucky, we cash out.’
“It doesn't make any sense because we come in, we are told the best guys will fight the best guys. You eat what you kill. Well, how can you kill something if you're not given the opportunity? Now you have Lerone Murphy, takes a risky fight against a Bellator guy in Aaron Pico. Big risky fight, a guy who can punch his ass off and can wrestle his ass off. Yeah, (Pico) might not have ever been the Bellator champ, but he's still a tough out. (Murphy) knocks him out with a spinning elbow. Doesn't get the shot either.
“I beat Brian Ortega. I beat the guy that Diego Lopes beat to get a title shot. Brian Ortega beats Yair Rodriguez but then loses to Diego Lopes. Diego Lopes gets catapulted into the ring. He gets catapulted into a title shot opportunity against Volkanovski, who beat him, and he beat someone who wasn't within the top five, and he's now being granted another title shot. Can you see how this is very, very annoying as a fighter?”
