Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling will face off in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night card from Shanghai. Both fighters have struggled in recent matchups but they still find themselves in the top 10 in the UFC featherweight rankings. Which fighter will get a much-needed win in this contest? Continue reading to get my Brian Ortega vs Aljamain Sterling prediction.
Our Brian Ortega vs Aljamain Sterling Pick
- Pick: Aljamain Sterling by decision
- Confidence: ★★★★☆
- Bonus Bets For Fight Night: Use bet365 promo code ATSBONUS to bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets for this fight!
Tale of the Tape
| Brian Ortega | Aljamain Sterling | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 34 | 36 |
| Reach | 69″ | 71″ |
| Stance | Switch | Orthodox |
| Record | 16-4-0 | 24-5-0 |
Brian Ortega vs Aljamain Sterling Preview
Brian Ortega is renowned for his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skill set and submission creativity. He holds a professional record of 16-4-0 and remains one of the division’s most dangerous submission threats. But he has lost three of his last four fights and has struggled against some of the elite featherweights in the division lately. He will look to bounce back here against another top 10 opponent.
Aljamain Sterling brings a deep wrestling and grappling base into this fight. He holds a professional record of 24-5-0 and is a former UFC bantamweight champion now fighting in the featherweight class. He has lost two of his last three fights and dropped his last fight by decision to Movsar Evloev. The Funk Master averages more takedowns per fight and has a higher takedown accuracy percentage. He will look to use that to advantage to win this matchup.
This fight is five rounds instead of the typical three rounds that we see in other non-championship fights. It will be interesting to see how that extra fight time impacts the outcome of this fight as both fighters will have their gas tanks tested in what is sure to be a battle to see who can earn ground control over their opponent.
Betting Insights
- Sterling is a -298 favorite to win this fight. Ortega enters as a +240 underdog.
- The over/under for this fight implies that we are in for a fight that goes the distance. Oddsmakers have set the total at 4.5 rounds and the over is heavily juiced at -215.
- Three of Sterling’s last four fights have gone to decisions.
- Three of Ortega’s last five fights have gone to the judges.
Brian Ortega vs Aljamain Sterling Prediction
The question in this fight is going to be which fighter can establish top control by securing takedowns and avoiding takedowns on the other end. No matter who that ends up being, I think that we will see this fight go to the judges. Both of these fighters are good in grappling situations and neither one should be submitted here.
My pick is for Sterling to win this fight via decision. He has been a little better of late even if he has also had his struggles in recent fights. This could end up being the best fight of the night in Shanghai given how lopsided the main event is set to be and I think Sterling will win it.
