Aljamain Sterling replaces injured Caraway for UFC 170 bout with Lucas Martins
Regional bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is the latest addition to the UFC’s roster, and he’s taken the UFC 170 spot of the injured Bryan Caraway (18-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC).
UFC officials today announced Sterling will meet Brazilian Lucas Martins (14-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at the Feb. 22 pay-per-view card, which takes place at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center. The headliner offers a women’s bantamweight title fight between champ Ronda Rousey and Sara McMann.
Sterling, 24, gives up his belt for the New Jersey-based Cage Fury Fighting Championships, where he’s won his past five bouts and won the title. Four of his five appearances for the promotion have ended in stoppage victories.
A product of Serra-Longo Fight Team, Sterling hails from Cortland, N.Y.
The newcomer gets a stiff challenge out of the gate against Martins, who’s stopped his past two opponents inside the octagon following a debut loss to Edson Barboza. At UFC on FX 8, he knocked out Jeremy Larsen, and then put Ramiro Hernandez to sleep with a rear-naked choke at FC Fight Night 28.
Martins trains with Chute Boxe and Macaco Gold Team.
Caraway, a veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter 14,†withdrew from UFC 170 due to an undisclosed injury. His previous performance saw him submit fellow TUF vet Johnny Bedford to earn “Submission of the Night†honors at UFC 159. At bantamweight, he is 2-1 in the octagon.
The latest UFC 170 card now includes:
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)
Champ Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann – for women’s bantamweight title
Daniel Cormier vs. Rashad Evans
Rory MacDonald vs. Demian Maia
Stephen Thompson vs. Robert Whittaker
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Rustam Khabilov
PRELIMINARY CARD (FOX Sports 1, 8 p.m. ET)
Alexis Davis vs. Jessica Eye
Raphael Assuncao vs. Francisco Rivera
Lucas Martins vs. Aljamain Sterling
Mike Pyle vs. T.J. Waldburger
PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 7 p.m. ET)
Zach Makovsky vs. Josh Sampo
Erik Koch vs. Rafaello Oliveira
