Aljamain Sterling walked out of Shanghai with his hand raised and a flawless scorecard. With a 50-45 sweep across the board, from the outside, it looked like the former bantamweight champ cruised to victory over Brian Ortega. But inside the cage, things weren’t so simple.

Behind the smooth footwork and sharp combinations was a fighter battling his own body. A single strike changed everything, and now, 24 hours later, Sterling let fans in on the painful reality.

On Instagram, the ‘Funk Master’ gave fans an unfiltered glimpse of the damage. His caption was half-humor, half-truth as he wrote, “Use the spinning stuff they said. This might take a while to heal. It was hard to keep up activity after losing this weapon but I did my best to stay as offensive as I could, while trying to avoid the big shots from Brian. My arm was numb/dead, so that sucked. Tough scrap against a guy that’s never been finished other than a doctor stoppage. Happy we got the job done.”

The post also came with a video, Sterling standing in front of a mirror in his room, pointing to a swollen mass bulging from his elbow. “Good morning from Shanghai,” he said, grimacing. “This is from the spinning back elbow… I now have a ti**y on my elbow…I can’t really bend my arm. That’s like as far as I could get. It hurts right there.”

He explained that the injury happened in the third round. The swelling was instant. In the corner, his team massaged and shook the arm, but the damage had been done. He admitted, “That looks not great. And it doesn’t feel great either. I couldn’t really defend with this arm, this side of my body, but I did what I could.”

The revelation adds a layer of grit to a fight that some fans labeled dull. Sterling dominated the leg kicks, takedowns, and scorecards. But behind the measured pace was survival. He couldn’t lift one arm, yet still pressed forward against a man known for late comebacks.

And Brian Ortega didn’t make it easy. The featherweight contender had missed weight badly, forcing the bout into catchweight territory. Still, he stormed into the fifth with urgency, landing a clean right hand that had Sterling retreating. “When he came after me, I was like this is like a living nightmare right now,” the former bantamweight champion later said.

But even wounded, Aljamain Sterling found a way to pull off the victory, despite the criticisms from some detractors over his performance. And now? He’s got his sights set on the crown held by Alexander Volkanovski!

Aljamain Sterling calls out Alexander Volkanovski for a battle of “uncs” for the featherweight title

The ‘Funk Master’ wasted no time after his unanimous decision win in Shanghai. He immediately called for a shot at the featherweight title. Bold? Maybe. But Sterling isn’t shying away from big challenges. Realistically, Lerone Murphy seems next in line. His highlight-reel knockout of Aaron Pico at UFC 319 made a powerful statement, and many see him as the frontrunner for Volkanovski’s next defense, including the champion himself.

During the UFC Shanghai post-fight show, Sterling acknowledged that reality, but stated, “That was a great fight for him. In terms of his performance, I think Lerone has earned it, but if the UFC wants to throw my hat in there, I’m not going to say no if they give me an opportunity.”

He knows the odds but also understands timing is everything in the UFC. And timing may be his strongest argument. At 36, Sterling is the same age as Alexander Volkanovski. He leaned into that parallel, framing the matchup as a chance to let two veterans settle it before the next generation fully takes over.

According to him, “But with that said, we’re both two old dogs, I’m 36, Volkanovski’s 36. It’s like let two old unc’s get after it. Lerone, he’s got some time, he’s got some youth, me and [Volkanovski], why not?”

As such, Sterling’s night in Shanghai was more than just another win. It was proof that even when his body betrays him, his willpower doesn’t. Fighting one-armed, absorbing pressure, and still shutting out a dangerous opponent, he reminded fans why his name belongs in the title conversation.

Now the question shifts to what comes next. Will the UFC give Lerone Murphy his deserved shot, or will Sterling’s veteran callout strike the right chord with matchmakers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!