Aljamain Sterling vs. Brian Ortega Headline the Card in Shanghai
UFC bantamweight ex-champion Aljamain Sterling will face Brian Ortega in a featherweight bout this summer, officials announced on Wednesday.
Sterling (24-5) and Ortega (16-4) will face each other in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night on August 23 in Shanghai. The main event will feature Chinese light heavyweight prospect Zhang Mingyang (19-6) against Johnny Walker (21-9). It will be the first time the UFC has visited Shanghai since 2017.
Sterling seeks to establish himself as a potential title contender in a new weight class. The former 135-pound champion moved up in weight last year after relinquishing the belt to Sean O’Malley in 2023. His featherweight campaign started well with a decision victory over Calvin Kattar, but he regressed with a loss to the undefeated Movsar Evloev in December.
Ortega has also talked about moving up a weight class. The featherweight veteran has a 1-3 record in his last four appearances. He has challenged for the UFC belt twice, coming up short against Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski. The August fight against Sterling will mark his first fight since last September.
Zhang, 26, will headline his first UFC event. He is coming off the highest-profile victory of his career, a first-round knockout against Anthony Smith in April.
