Injured Sterling Withdraws From UFC 307

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling suffered an injury in training camp and has withdrawn from his featherweight showdown against No. 6-ranked Movsar Evloev at the upcoming UFC 307 pay-per-view (PPV) event on Sat., Oct. 5, 2024 from inside Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Unfortunately, I have to break the news I will not be competing in Salt Lake City at UFC 307,” Sterling said on YouTube. “In sparring, I had an injury not requiring surgery, but I was advised by the UFC medical staff that I will not be able to properly compete in this short of a turnaround.”

Sterling (24-4) dropped the 135-pound title to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 back in summer 2023, but was already contemplating a trip north before coughing up his bantamweight crown. “Funk Master” made his featherweight debut with a unanimous decision win over Boston bruiser Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 last April.

“I did the stem cells. I took time off. I tried to rehab it as much as I can, as best as I can with the [UFC Performance Institute] team here, and unfortunately, it’s out of my hands now,” Sterling continued. “I apologize to Movsar and his team. We’ve been talking and I was really looking forward to punching this guy in his face.”

Evloev (18-0) kept his perfect record intact by capturing a unanimous decision victory over Arnold Allen at UFC 297 in Toronto. The only knock against the Russian wrestler is that all eight of his wins under the UFC banner have come by way of decision, though he did manage to bag “Fight of the Night” at UFC 288 in Newark.

No word yet on whether or not matchmakers will find Evloev a late replacement.