Sterling rules out short-notice Silva fight, eyes Allen or Pico for featherweight return

Aljamain Sterling has flatly rejected the idea that he could have stepped in to face Jean Silva at Noche UFC on September 12, telling listeners of his podcast that he was nowhere near fight-ready and had no hesitation in saying so.

Silva was originally booked to headline Noche UFC against Yair Rodriguez before Rodriguez withdrew through injury and was replaced by Jose Miguel Delgado. Rumours circulated that Sterling had been in talks to fill the slot, but the former UFC bantamweight champion and current featherweight contender set the record straight.

“If I was offered Jean Silva, I would have looked them straight in the eyes and said, ‘You know what? I will absolutely not take that f*cking fight,’” Sterling said. “If I were to go in the shape that I’m in right now, it’s definitely not. Because I would be on the ground wheezing for air, and I am not afraid to admit it. I just got back from Serbia and Albania, you think I’m freaking in fight shape ready to do five rounds on short notice? Hell no. Give me a training camp.”

Sterling acknowledged he might have entertained a three-round short-notice contest if the money was significant enough, but made clear that a full camp is the baseline for any serious commitment. He also suggested that a properly scheduled fight with Silva would actually make considerable sense given where both men sit in the featherweight contender picture.

“If they were to say we’d move Jean Silva to another date with you, then I’ll take the fight,” Sterling said. “It would make sense. It’s more appealing than a guy who was ranked 13 and they just magically bumped him up to 12.”

Beyond Silva, Sterling has his eye on the outcome of Aaron Pico versus Arnold Allen at UFC 333 on October 24. The former Bellator standout Pico has been floated as a potential opponent, but Sterling is lukewarm on a fighter who carries only a 1-1 UFC record. Allen, by contrast, holds the kind of established name and recent form that Sterling says would motivate him.

“If Pico beats Arnold Allen, then I’ll fight the winner. I’ll fight Pico. If Arnold Allen wins, I’d rather fight Arnold Allen, someone with an established name and he’s coming off another win. So that’s a fight I can wake up in the morning for and get excited.”

In the meantime, Sterling says he has been using the downtime to focus on outside ventures, including his rum company, while keeping an eye on the featherweight landscape. He described his current position as being “stuck in limbo” but insisted he will be ready when the right opportunity materialises.

“All I could do is do my part, get into shape, so if the opportunity does present itself, I’ll be ready,” he said. “But right now giving me a short-notice fight on two weeks’ notice would just be asinine.”