Jean Silva rumored to face Aljamain Sterling at UFC 331 according to latest reports
Jean Silva's path to a featherweight title shot may very well include former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling if recent rumors are to be believed.
Jean Silva vs. Aljamain Sterling may be in the works according to a recent string of rumors on social media. The bout, if scheduled, would almost certainly be a title eliminator for both men, who have been eyeing the UFC featherweight belt for some time now.
Jean Silva vs. Aljamain Sterling is being reportedly targeted for UFC 331
Despite nothing yet being confirmed for UFC 331, plenty of rumors are abound on social media about some of the card's reported bouts. Among those matchups is, apparently, Jean Silva vs. Aljamain Sterling. Both men hover around the UFC featherweight title picture and are eager to solidify their status as the number one contender for Alexander Volkanovski, who recently defended the belt against Diego Lopes in a unanimous decision win at UFC 325. Silva, meanwhile, bounced back from a second-round TKO loss to Lopes at Noche UFC 3, doing so by beating the tough Arnold Allen via unanimous decision at UFC 324.
🚨BREAKING: Jean Silva vs. Aljamain Sterling is reportedly in the works for #UFC331 pic.twitter.com/Cfn5phLZEU
Sterling, by contrast, is on a two-fight win streak, having beaten Brian Ortega and Youssef Zoulal via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 257 and UFC Fight Night 274 respectively. He is aiming to elevate his legacy by becoming a two-division UFC champion, having already held and defended the promotion's bantamweight title three times. However, who the winner of the potential Silva vs. Sterling bout faces for the featherweight title is up in the air. While Volkanovski is still the division's champion, rumors persist about his next fight, which could be against the unbeaten Movsar Evloev, also rumored for UFC 331. And there is no guarantee Volkanovski emerges victorious.
Furthermore, Volkanovski recently expressed interest in moving up in weight and facing Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title following 'The Highlight's' fourth-round TKO win over Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250. It would mark the Australian's third attempt at capturing lightweight championship gold, with his previous two attempts ending in failure. He lost to Islam Makhachev via unanimous decision in a competitive bout at UFC 284, before losing to Makhachev again at UFC 294, this time via first-round knockout after he stepping in on short-notice for an injured Charles Oliveira.
