Featherweight · Champion

Aljamain Sterling

Funk Master

26-5

Age
37
Height
5'7"
Reach
5'11"
Stance
Orthodox
Camp
Serra-Longo Fight Team
Out of
USA
Style
striker
Fight IQ
B+ · 81
Finish rate
31%
Win rate
84%

Career methods

KO/TKO
3
Sub
8
Dec
15

FightMetric

SLpM

4.26

SApM

1.58

Str Acc

62%

Str Def

69%

TD Avg

2.54

TD Acc

32%

TD Def

100%

Sub Avg

0.64

Tape read

Pocket striker — high-IQ problem solver, elite sprawl

Fight IQ

81B+

Built from FightMetric rates, method shares, and 7 loaded UFC rows. Timing and agility are tape proxies, not lab measurements.

IQ

B+

Ground

C

Defense

A+

Counter

C

Reaction

proxy

B+

Agility

proxy

C+

TD react

A

Chin

A

What they do well

  • Striking defense

    Hard to hit clean. Low absorb rate and a quiet chin record — opponents have to work for every clean look.

  • Takedown reaction

    Sprawls on time. Level changes get stuffed at a rate that keeps this fight standing when they want it standing.

  • Durability

    Gets through fire. Rarely finished by strikes; the later minutes are still theirs to win.

Where they leak

  • Ground game

    Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

  • Counter punching

    Limited counter threat. Opponents can miss without paying a finishing tax.

Scouting report

Aljamain Sterling “Funk Master” is a 37-year-old Orthodox featherweight out of USA, camped at Serra-Longo Fight Team . The tape read: pocket striker — high-iq problem solver, elite sprawl. Career mark 26-5-0 — 3 by KO/TKO, 8 by submission, 15 by decision. Fight IQ grades B+ (81).

What works. Striking defense is the standout at 93 (A+). Hard to hit clean. Low absorb rate and a quiet chin record — opponents have to work for every clean look. Ground game C on 2.54 TD/15 and 0.64 sub attempts. Striking defense A+ at 69% / 1.58 SApM. Counter punching C; punching agility C+ (output × accuracy × age curve). Takedown reaction A on 100% TD defense. These are tape proxies — not lab reaction times — built from FightMetric rates, finish shares, and 7 loaded UFC rows.

Where it breaks. Ground game is the soft spot (54, C). Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain. Opponents who force wrestling and keep the fight on the fence have historically been the ones who make this résumé leak. Losses lean decision more often than a highlight — the issue is usually control of minutes, not a glass jaw.

Recent tape (7 bouts): W 4351319 (Decision - Unanimous R5) · W Ortega (Decision - Unanimous R5) · L 4029275 (Decision - Unanimous R3) · W Kattar (Decision - Unanimous R3) · L 4205093 (KO/TKO R2). Form index positive over the last 5. 4 of those wins reached the championship minutes — cardio and late IQ are real.

Ground game

54 C

Thin offensive ground game. Wins come standing; once taken down this fighter is hunting a stand-up, not a sweep chain.

  • 2.54 takedowns / 15 at 32% accuracy
  • 0.64 submission attempts / 15 · 8 career sub wins

Striking defense

93 A+

Hard to hit clean. Low absorb rate and a quiet chin record — opponents have to work for every clean look.

  • 69% striking defense · 1.58 SApM
  • 0 KO/TKO losses in 5 defeats

Counter punching

55 C

Limited counter threat. Opponents can miss without paying a finishing tax.

  • 62% accuracy on 4.26 SLpM
  • 0.00 knockdowns / 15 · 3 KO/TKO wins

Timing & reaction

79 B+

Average-plus reactions. Gets touched, but rarely frozen in place when the shot or the shot-to-takedown comes.

  • Str def 69% · TD def 100% — the two read-and-react rates
  • 1.58 shots absorbed / min (lower = sees it earlier)

Punching agility

62 C+

Heavy or economical. Combinations are chosen, not sprayed — opponents can time the entries.

  • 4.26 SLpM at 62% — output with cleanliness
  • Throws without paying full retail: 1.58 SApM

Takedown reaction

86 A

Sprawls on time. Level changes get stuffed at a rate that keeps this fight standing when they want it standing.

  • 100% takedown defense — the live reaction to level changes
  • 0 submission losses (once the fight hits the mat)

Durability

85 A

Gets through fire. Rarely finished by strikes; the later minutes are still theirs to win.

  • 0 times finished by strikes in 5 losses
  • 15 decision wins — proof they last and still score

Fight history

DateOpponentResMethodRndSig
Apr 26, 2026Fighter 4351319WDecision - Unanimous5 5:0046/89
Aug 23, 2025Brian OrtegaWDecision - Unanimous5 5:00124/227
Dec 8, 2024Fighter 4029275LDecision - Unanimous3 5:0012/26
Apr 14, 2024Calvin KattarWDecision - Unanimous3 5:0039/71
Aug 20, 2023Fighter 4205093LKO/TKO2 0:5117/35
May 7, 2023Fighter 3023388WDecision - Split5 5:00135/210
Oct 22, 2022Fighter 2611719WKO/TKO2 3:4472/93