TLDR
- Aljamain Sterling volunteered to be the backup fighter for the UFC London main event on March 21
- Sterling called Movsar Evloev one of the most unreliable fighters due to his history of pulling out of bouts
- The former bantamweight champion sees the opportunity as a path to a featherweight title shot
- Sterling lost to Evloev in November 2024 but rebounded with a win over Brian Ortega in August 2025
- The Evloev vs. Murphy fight is expected to determine the next challenger for Alexander Volkanovski’s title
Sources: EssentiallySports | Bloody Elbow | Home of Fight
Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has volunteered to serve as the backup fighter for the UFC London main event on March 21. He called headliner Movsar Evloev one of the most unreliable fighters in the promotion due to his history of fight cancellations.
Sterling spoke about his interest during an interview with Home of Fight. He expressed confidence that he could defeat either Evloev or Lerone Murphy if given the opportunity.
“Listen man, Movsar is one of the most unreliable guys that pulls out of how many fights?” Sterling said. “Or somehow his opponent doesn’t make it to the fight.”
😬👀Aljamain Sterling calls Movsar Evloev “the most unreliable guy” and wants to be a back up fighter for #UFCLondon:
“I’m trying to throw my name to be a backup for that London card. Movsar is one of the most unreliable guys that pulls out of how many fights? Usually it’s him.”… pic.twitter.com/9wgxd5rJD8
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) February 10, 2026
Title Shot Motivation
The former champion sees the UFC London event as a path back to title contention at featherweight. The bout between Evloev and Murphy is expected to determine the next challenger for Alexander Volkanovski’s championship.
“To put myself in a No. 1 contender position where I can fight either one of those guys and win, I think the writing’s on the wall that I get another title shot,” Sterling explained.
Sterling moved up to featherweight in 2024 after losing his bantamweight title. He fought Evloev in his division debut in November 2024, losing by decision.
The 35-year-old fighter bounced back with a victory over Brian Ortega in August 2025. He has not competed since that win six months ago.
Sterling also mentioned the personal benefit of traveling to London. He told EssentiallySports that he has family in the UK he could visit during the trip.
Sterling’s Prediction for Main Event
Despite questioning Evloev’s reliability, Sterling predicted the Russian fighter would defeat Murphy if the bout happens as scheduled. He expects Evloev to use his grappling skills to control the British contender throughout the fight.
Evloev holds an undefeated record in the UFC and is currently ranked among the top featherweight contenders. Murphy is fighting in front of his home crowd and riding his own winning streak.
The UFC has not publicly responded to Sterling’s offer to serve as a backup fighter. The promotion typically assigns backup fighters for high-profile main events, especially those with title implications.
Sterling acknowledged that cutting weight is difficult but said the opportunity would be worth the sacrifice. He believes defeating either Evloev or Murphy would put him in position for a featherweight title fight.
During his bantamweight title reign, Sterling defeated top fighters including Petr Yan twice, Henry Cejudo, and T.J. Dillashaw. He called his knockout victory over Dillashaw at UFC 280 in October 2022 the best moment of his career.
Sterling referred to Dillashaw as a “lying cheat” because of his 2019 positive test for EPO. Dillashaw served a two-year suspension before returning to fight Sterling, who stopped him in the second round.
The UFC London card on March 21 will take place at The O2 Arena. Evloev versus Murphy is scheduled as the five-round main event.
