Sterling shuts out Ortega, calls for title shot

Aljamain Sterling defeated Brian Ortega via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) in the UFC Shanghai co-main event Saturday at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium.

The fight was contested at a 153-pound catchweight after Ortega was unable to make the featherweight limit at Friday's weigh-ins.

Sterling dominated Ortega from start to finish in what was largely a stand-up affair. He controlled the action on the feet, picking his opponent apart with punches and kicks from a distance. Sterling outlanded Ortega 100-45 in significant strikes.

Sterling, who's known for his wrestling, didn't look for a takedown until the second half of the fight. He got Ortega to the ground in the fourth and fifth rounds. Sterling put a stamp on the performance with a rear-naked choke attempt and heavy ground-and-pound in the final moments of the contest.

After the win, Sterling, a former bantamweight champion, called for a title shot against featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski. Ortega and Sterling were ranked Nos. 5 and 7 coming in, respectively.

"I think I did my damn thing against a really tough dude who fought for the belt twice," Sterling said in his postfight interview. "Respect, Volkanovski is the f-----g man, but I would love an opportunity to fight for the belt again."

Sterling is 2-1 since moving up to the featherweight division last year. The 36-year-old beat Calvin Kattar in his 145-pound debut at UFC 300 but then came up short against No. 1-ranked contender Movsar Evloev at UFC 310 last December.

Ortega, a former title challenger, is riding a two-fight losing streak and is 1-4 in his last five Octagon appearances. The 34-year-old has won just one fight in nearly five years.