Aljamain “Funk Master”Sterling

Aljamain Sterling is an American mixed martial artist competing in the UFC’s featherweight division. Born on July 31, 1989, in Uniondale, New York, he developed his foundation in wrestling before transitioning to mixed martial arts. Sterling became a two-time NCAA Division III All-American at SUNY Cortland and earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education. He trains with Serra-Longo on Long Island and holds a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Matt Serra.

Sterling made his UFC debut on February 22, 2014, defeating Cody Gibson by unanimous decision. He later became UFC bantamweight champion after defeating Petr Yan by disqualification at UFC 259 in March 2021. Sterling successfully defended the title against Yan, T.J. Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo before losing it to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in August 2023. He moved to featherweight in 2024, defeating Calvin Kattar, and has remained an active UFC athlete. His documented UFC victories over Brian Ortega in August 2025 and Youssef Zalal in April 2026 mark later milestones in his featherweight career.

Known as “The Funk Master,” Sterling is recognized for an unorthodox wrestling-heavy approach, dynamic grappling and submission ability. His style blends chain wrestling, positional control and opportunistic attacks with increasingly developed striking. At 5 feet 7 inches tall with a 71-inch reach, he has competed in both the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. The UFC lists him as active and identifies Serra-Longo in Long Island, New York, as his training base.