\u201cFunkmaster\u201d is fired up \u2014 again.<\/p>\n
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling made a statement in his RAF 06<\/a> debut, dominating fellow ex-champion Benson Henderson in the evening\u2019s featured bout. Sterling secured a third-period pin inside Mullett Arena at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, reminding everyone that even outside the Octagon, his grappling remains elite (watch highlights<\/a>).<\/p>\n The win marked Sterling\u2019s first competition since defeating Brian Ortega at UFC Shanghai last year. While the performance at RAF 06 was solid, it\u2019s safe to say that Sterling was fired up and didn\u2019t mince words when discussing what he believes should be next.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been doing this for a long time, been with the company since 2014. I\u2019ve been calling my shot, I defended my belt the most in the Bantamweight division, tied with a couple of other greats like Merab Dvalishvili. Give me my f\u2014king shot,\u201d Sterling said. \u201cI deserve a shot at the title. OG vs. OG. I\u2019m smarter than all these dumb motherf\u2014kers out there. Excuse my French, but Diego Lopes gets a f\u2014king rematch, and he goes out there and fights worse. After actually doing decent in the first fight. Like, what are we even talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n Sterling has long leaned into the \u201csmart fighter\u201d identity. He knows he\u2019s not a one-punch knockout artist \u2014 and he\u2019s fine with that.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I don\u2019t have knockout power. That\u2019s never been my game. I win with my brain. I\u2019m smarter than a lot of these guys out there. Like I said, I\u2019m an OG of the game. Give me my f\u2014king title shot. I\u2019ll put on a good show for the fans. I\u2019ve been working on my striking, as people saw in the Brian Ortega fight. Give me my f\u2014king shot. I\u2019ve earned this. I\u2019ve been around for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n