Highly touted unbeaten bantamweight free agent Aljamain Sterling re-signs with UFC

After a two-month stint in free agency, highly touted bantamweight Aljamain Sterling has re-upped with the UFC.

The undefeated Sterling (12-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) announced the news today on “The MMA Hour,” bringing to end a highly publicized period of wondering just where “The Funk Master” would wind up fighting next. It turns out that will remain the UFC.

Sterling most recently fought in December, when he submitted Johnny Eduardo with a second-round standing guillotine choke at UFC Fight Night 80. It was Sterling’s third straight stoppage win.

The 26-year-old New Yorker, who trains with the Serra-Longo team on Long Island, won the Ring of Combat bantamweight title in his third pro bout in 2011. He then moved to the CFFC, where he won another title. He defended that belt three times with three straight rear-naked choke submissions to move to 8-0. That got him a call from the UFC.

In his promotional debut about two years ago, he took a unanimous decision from Cody Gibson, then stopped Hugo Viana with a TKO, submitted Takeya Mizugaki with an inverted arm-triangle choke, and tapped Eduardo to hit 12-0 and 4-0 in the UFC.

In January, Sterling told MMAjunkie Radio the news about Sage Northcutt’s disclosed salary at UFC Fight Night 80 – the same event he most recently fought at – made him more motivated to get more money in free agency. Northcutt made a disclosed $80,000 for his win there – just his second UFC fight – while Sterline made $28,000.

“If he can get that, then I should be able to get that, too,” Sterling, who’s ranked No. 9 in the MMAjunkie/USA TODAY Sports MMA bantamweight rankings, told MMAjunkie Radio. “I could beat those guys. I’m a (bantamweight). I could bump up two weight classes and take those guys out – and finish them. So it was like, what?”

He also told MMAjunkie Radio he believes he could fight for the bantamweight title this year. And now that he’s back with the UFC instead of using free agency to sign elsewhere, he might be able to see that come to fruition.

“I honestly think I can fight for the belt this year if things play out and maybe if (Urijah) Faber or somebody gets hurt,” Sterling said. “I hate to wish injury on anybody, but if that were to happen, I think I’m the guy to step up and get the job done. Bring some real flavor to this division.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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