UFC dodges bullet by re-signing Alistair Overeem, Aljamain Sterling
Cagewriter By Andreas Hale
Alistair Overeem
There was concern that the UFC may begin losing some of its more established talent to rival MMA organizations after the departure of former WEC and UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson to Bellator earlier this month. Between a Reebok deal that has drawn a lukewarm reaction from many of the organization’s fighters to complaints that fighter’s aren’t being paid what they feel they deserve, it appeared that the UFC may have some difficulty retaining the services of some of its bigger names and rising stars to Bellator and World Series Of Fighting.
But on Monday, the UFC managed to re-sign both an established star and one of their biggest rising talents when Alistair Overeem and Aljamain Sterling announced their returns to the company.
Overeem, who recently scored a second-round TKO win over former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos in December, took to his Twitter account to make the announcement. The former Strikeforce heavyweight champion is currently riding a three-fight winning streak after going 1-3 since joining the organization. His recent surge has helped a relatively thin heavyweight division that is seeking new challengers to the heavyweight title. Losing the No. 3 ranked heavyweight in the UFC would have certainly dealt the division’s depth a mighty blow.
Meanwhile, Sterling, the No. 5 ranked bantamweight prospect, may not be an established name like Overeem, but the way his contract negotiations have played out publicly has only helped enhance his rising popularity. The unbeaten Sterling had been very vocal about his disappointment in the UFC’s original offer to resign him after defeating Johnny Eduardo at UFC Fight Night 80 last December. He promised to test the waters of free agency and publicly courted offers from World Series of Fighting and Bellator.
Sterling made his announcement to return to the UFC on “The MMA Hour” with Ariel Helwani on Monday afternoon.
With four logos placed in front of him, similar to a high school athlete selecting college on National Signing Day, Sterling picked the UFC logo.
“We’re back [fighting for the UFC],” Sterling said. He mentioned that World Series of Fighting made a serious push to acquire Sterling’s services but the prestige of the UFC ended up winning out.
.Aljamain Sterling (AP Photo)
“The contract was a lot more lucrative than the original [UFC] offer. In terms of the up-front money, the back end money, and becoming the champ,” Sterling said. “There’s a lot of things that go into it: the marketing, the publicity. Ultimately, I think I made the right decision. I got some extra incentives in there.”
Ultimately, Sterling is happy with how things played out and felt that it helped him secure the best deal for him.
“I am 100 percent happy with my decision,” Sterling said. “I think I got a better deal for myself then I would have had. For me to take what was originally offered by the UFC would not have been good for what I plan to bring to the table”
Sterling’s next fight is not set just yet but he hopes to earn a title shot before the year is over.
“I honestly believe I am the best guy in the division,” Sterling said. “Give the [next UFC bantamweight title shot] to [Urijah] Faber. That’s the big money fight. After that happens, I think if I get one more win, I’m there.”
As of press time, neither Overeem nor Sterling offered any details regarding their contracts.
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