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#2. Aljamain Sterling completely dusted Cory Sandhagen when they faced off
Aljamain Sterling’s UFC record is excellent (more on that later) but it’s probably fair to say that he picked up his biggest win at UFC 250 last June. At that pay-per-view, he beat Cory Sandhagen.
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The win was enough for the UFC to grant him a shot at the UFC bantamweight title. In the context of the bigger picture, it’s a win that should mean Sterling gets far more respect from UFC fans.
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That’s because right now, it’s arguable that Sandhagen is perhaps the best bantamweight in the UFC, not named Aljamain Sterling. A glance at the record of ‘The Sandman’ tells its own story.
Sandhagen has been in the UFC since 2018. In that time, he’s put together an outstanding record of 7-2. One loss came at the hands of Sterling and the other, a split decision defeat to T.J. Dillashaw, was hugely controversial and many believe should go down as a win.
It’s not like Sandhagen has been smacking scrubs around, either. He holds knockout wins over Frankie Edgar and Marlon Moraes. He also beat Raphael Assuncao and John Lineker.
When he faced Aljamain Sterling, though, ‘The Sandman’ was completely outclassed and was forced to tap out in just over a minute.
At the highest level in the UFC, it’s rare to see such domination and yet Sterling made Sandhagen look like he didn’t even belong in the octagon with him. It’s a win that’s somehow become overlooked, but should earn ‘Funk Master’ far more respect than he gets from UFC fans.
#1. Aljamain Sterling’s record is second-to-none in the UFC bantamweight division
The main reason that Aljamain Sterling deserves more respect than he gets from UFC fans is that his record is basically second-to-none in the bantamweight division. 'Funk Master’ has been a part of the UFC roster for over seven years now. In that time, he’s never faced off with anything but a tough opponent inside the octagon.
He made his UFC debut on late notice and defeated Cody Gibson. Since then, he’s put together an overall record of 12-3. However, it’s worth noting that of his losses, only his defeat to Marlon Moraes was definitive. Moraes knocked Sterling out in the first round, whereas his losses to Bryan Caraway and Raphael Assuncao both came via split decisions and the Assuncao loss in particular was contentious.
Sterling’s wins also stand out as being remarkably strong. Not only is he the only man to finish Cory Sandhagen in the UFC, but he also handed Cody Stamann his first loss in the octagon and came out on top against Jimmie Rivera and Pedro Munhoz too.
Even in his early UFC days, he was able to defeat two top ranked fighters in Takeya Mizugaki and Johnny Eduardo to break into the promotion’s rankings less than two years after his debut.
Essentially, few bantamweights in the UFC can boast as impressive a record as Aljamain Sterling. ‘Funk Master’ is definitely a deserving champion, and deserves far more respect for his achievements from UFC fans.
