Aljamain Sterling Meets UFC Featherweight In First Action Since Losing Title

The former bantamweight champion will compete for the first time since UFC 292.

Drew Beaupré | Sep 8, 2023

Aljamain Sterling Meets UFC Featherweight In First Action Since Losing Title /

Aljamain Sterling will compete for the first time since losing his bantamweight title when he takes on UFC featherweight Nathaniel Wood in a grappling match later this month.

“Funk Master” suffered his first loss in nearly six years when Sean O’Malley stopped him in the second round of their bantamweight title fight at UFC 292.

The setback halted Sterling’s incredible run of bantamweight title defenses at three, and it also seems like the result has encouraged him to put his featherweight plans on hold in order to pursue a rematch with O’Malley.

Many fans expected the 34-year-old’s grappling to prove too much for "Sugar", and according to Ariel Helwani the former champion is now set to hit the mats on September 30 and take on Wood at Polaris 25 in Wales.

Aljamain Sterling will be facing Nathaniel Wood in a grappling match on September 30th on Polaris 25. The event takes place in Wales. pic.twitter.com/Y6DPrfEFpY
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 8, 2023

A member of the UFC roster since 2018, Wood joined the promotion as a former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion but decided to move up to the featherweight division last year.

“The Prospect” is now 3-0 since joining the new weight class, and he most recently defeated longtime UFC veteran Andre Fili in July.

Sterling will obviously need to take some time off from MMA after being stopped with strikes at UFC 292, but plenty of fans will be excited to see the former champion showcase his grappling skills on September 30 and start building anticipation for his next fight.

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Published Sep 8, 2023