Aljamain Sterling announced that he is re-signing with the UFC. The bantamweight was a free agent after his fight this past December and while there was much speculation about where he would sign he has decided to remain in the UFC.
Sterling made the announcement on The MMA Hour. He said that he got a better deal by waiting for free agency. Sterling feels confident about his skills and adding value to the company.
Although no terms were disclosed, Sterling signed in with the UFC in January 2014 when he accepted a four-fight contract at $8K/$8K with a $2K increase if he won. According to an article with Bleacher Report, Sterling says the UFC offered him a raise to $20K/$20K. But, he declined the offer and fought out the last fight of his contract. He was subsequently offered $24K/$24K by the UFC but declined that offer too.
In addition to Sterling’s choice to stay with the UFC, Heavyweight Alistair Overeem decided to re-sign with the UFC as well.
Payout Perspective:
Do you think that the UFC blew Sterling out of the water with their offer or did he not receive a better offer from a rival organization? One would think that Bellator could have used the money it spent on signing Chris Leben to sign Sterling. He could have bolstered that division and been an instant rival for the likes of Joe Warren. Re-signing with the UFC probably means that in addition to more money, Sterling will get better, higher-profile fights. With a raise, perhaps Sterling will get some prime fights at bantamweight and maybe headline a Fight Night. He is a likable, charismatic person that can finish a fight. We shall see what the company does with him.
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