Aljamain Sterling Fires Back at Kevin Vallejos Over New UFC Deal
Aljamain Sterling has taken a shot at Kevin Vallejos shortly after the Argentine announced that he’s signed a new UFC contract.
The two featherweights are set to fight in the co-main event at UFC Qatar on Nov. 21 at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena. Vallejos posted on X on Thursday that he has signed a new deal with the UFC. However, he did not reveal the terms of the contract.
Aljamain Sterling Mocks Kevin Vallejos
A day after announcing the deal, “El Chino” wrote another post on X that reads:
“I can’t believe how much money I’m getting paid to fight 😭😭😭.”
“Funk Master” quoted the post and replied: “It’s not really a fight when you’re getting held down until the cops come 😂”
Sterling played on Vallejos’s words, suggesting the Argentine would spend Nov. 21 being taken down and controlled on the mat. The former bantamweight champion is known for his wrestling, and in his last fight, he won a five-round decision over Youssef Zalal in April, using his grappling to control much of the bout.
Vallejos, on the other hand, is a striker, with 13 of his 18 wins coming by knockout. However, Sterling made it clear that getting Vallejos down does not mean playing it safe. When a fan replied that it would be better if he promised a finish instead of “just laying on him,” the 37-year-old added:
“If you think I’m gonna just ‘lay on him’ then you don’t know ball.” Check out Aljamain Sterling’s comments on X in the post below:
Kevin Vallejos Believes a Win at UFC Qatar Gets Him a Title Shot
The Argentine, who has finished three of his last opponents, posted on X, claiming: “Guys if WE beat Sterling, WE get Volk.”
However, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski may not stay at 145lbs. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, “The Great” said a lightweight title fight is still his top choice. Even if champion Justin Gaethje retires, the Australian would vacate his featherweight belt to fight Arman Tsarukyan for the vacant lightweight title.
But if he does stay at featherweight, the champion said “Aljo” should be next if he wins in Qatar, especially after taking “a fight against a dangerous guy like Kevin.”
As for Jean Silva, he said the Brazilian is “in a great position” but “needs to just wait to see what happens with Aljo.”
For Sterling, the path is clear. If he beats Vallejos, VolkanovskiAlexander Volkanovski believes Aljamain Sterling deserves the next featherweight title shot over Jean Silva has already said “Aljo” should be the next challenger. Vallejos, meanwhile, will be facing the highest-ranked opponent of his career. The No. 9-ranked Argentine is 4-0 in the UFC, and a win over the No. 4-ranked former champion would put his title claim to the test on Nov. 21.
