Aljamain Sterling wants Diego Lopes next.

Sterling was supposed to face Movsar Evloev in a pivotal featherweight matchup at UFC 307 on Oct. 5. However, earlier this month, Sterling suffered an injury in training that forced him out of the fight. According to Sterling, he suffered a low-grade tear in his elbow that won’t require surgery, leading him to hope for a December return, but in the meantime, he’s rehabbing and trying to stay ready for Evloev.

“Just a lot of PT right now, trying to get healthy, and training around the injury,” Sterling told The Schmo. “I’ve got to stay in shape in case Movsar does decide to take the fight for December. I don’t want to be starting camp with no cardio whatsoever. I want to make sure I’m building and keeping that momentum so that if we’re ready to go for December, whether it’s him or somebody else, I’ll be in shape and ready to get in there.”

But Evloev may not be an option anymore. In light of Sterling’s injury, both Evloev and the UFC are searching for a replacement opponent for UFC 307, though nothing has been made official at this time. Should Sterling get replaced, he already has his sights set on another possible opponent.

“Maybe Diego Lopes?” Sterling said. “Maybe that will be a battle for the [No.] 3 [ranking]. I think Diego rising to stardom, his rise in the sport in the UFC has been huge and nothing short of inspiring, to be honest. I’m happy for the guy…

“If we’re talking the next best fight, if Movsar declines, I just don’t know who else would he fight? But if you give me the option, I always wanted Brian Ortega so I could get the closest spot to the top, and now that next closest guy is Diego Lopes. That’s all it is. It has nothing to do with what this guy did, it’s the name value, what it gets me, risk vs. reward. If I’m going to risk it for the biscuit, that’s the guy I’d risk it for.”

Lopes recently picked up the biggest win of his career, taking a unanimous decision over Ortega at UFC 306 earlier this month. The win elevated Lopes to No. 5 at featherweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, and the 2023 Rookie of the Year already dismissed Evloev’s call for a rematch as he instead targets either a title fight or title eliminator.

Sterling most recently competed at UFC 300 where he won a unanimous decision over Calvin Kattar in his featherweight debut. The former UFC bantamweight champion is 24-4 overall in his MMA career.

Saying anything is “the best” usually is subjective, and when it comes to MMA, opinions typically are all over the map.

But the UFC released a compilation video of some of the best rounds in its history, and it’s safe to assume no one is going to argue much about any of the fights that are included in it.

There are all-time classics, like Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar, Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald and Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson, but also new classics like Max Holloway’s insane “BMF” win over Justin Gaethje.

Basically, it’s hard to go wrong with nearly two straight hours of rounds from 18 fights that will stand the test of time.

Check them out in the video above, and go inside the included fights below.

Charles Oliveira def. Dustin Poirier

Event: UFC 269
Round: 1
Result: Charles Oliveira def. Dustin Poirier via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 1:02
Notes: Oliveira defended the lightweight title; Performance of the Night for Oliveira.
Video timestamp: Start

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Merab Dvalishvili def. Marlon Moraes

Event: UFC 266
Round: 1
Result: Merab Dvalishvili def. Marlon Moraes via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:25
Notes: Performance of the Night for Dvalishvili – the only bonus in his current 11-fight winning streak that culminated with the bantamweight title.
Video timestamp: 6:19

Paulo Costa def. Yoel Romero

Event: UFC 241
Round: 1
Result: Paulo Costa def. Yoel Romero via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Notes: Fight of the Night winner in Anaheim, Calif.
Video timestamp: 11:37

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Nick Diaz def. Paul Daley

Event: Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Daley
Round: 1
Result: Nick Diaz def. Paul Daley via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:57
Notes: Diaz defended the Strikeforce welterweight title.
Video timestamp: 19:39

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Tony Ferguson def. Anthony Pettis

Event: UFC 229
Round: 2
Result: Tony Ferguson def. Anthony Pettis via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 2, 5:00
Notes: Fight of the Night winner – and Ferguson’s seventh bonus in seven fights.
Video timestamp: 26:47

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Dustin Poirier def. Dan Hooker

Event: UFC on ESPN 12
Round: 2
Result: Dustin Poirier def. Dan Hooker via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-46)
Notes: Fight of the Night in main event.
Video timestamp: 35:41

Don Frye def. Yoshihiro Takayama

Event: PRIDE 21
Round: 1
Result: Don Frye def. Yoshihiro Takayama via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 6:10
Notes: The consensus 2002 Fight of the Year winner.
Video timestamp: 41:47

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Justin Gaethje def. Michael Chandler

Event: UFC 268
Round: 1
Result: Justin Gaethje def. Michael Chandler via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Notes: Fight of the Night; MMA Junkie’s Fight of the Year for 2021.
Video timestamp: 50:39

Drew Dober def. Terrance McKinney

Event: UFC Fight Night 203
Round: 1
Result: Drew Dober def. Terrance McKinney via TKO (knee, punches) – Round 1, 3:17
Notes: Dober snapped a two-fight skid and got a knockout in a win for the fourth straight time – a streak that is at seven through September 2024.
Video timestamp: 56:55

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Max Holloway def. Justin Gaethje

Event: UFC 300
Round: 5
Result: Max Holloway def. Justin Gaethje via knockout (punch) – Round 5, 4:59
Notes: Gaethje lost the “BMF” belt to Holloway; instant classic that featured Holloway pointing to the canvas and urging Gaethje to throw down for the final 10 seconds, then a one-punch KO with one second left; Fight of the Night.
Video timestamp: 1:01:47

Dustin Poirier def. Michael Chandler

Event: UFC 281
Round: 1
Result: Dustin Poirier def. Michael Chandler via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 3, 2:00
Notes: Fight of the Night winner at Madison Square Garden.
Video timestamp: 1:08:58

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Forrest Griffin def. Stephan Bonnar

Event: TUF 1 Finale
Round: 2
Result: Forrest Griffin def. Stephan Bonnar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Notes: Long thought to be the catalyst that put the UFC onto the mainstream map; Griffin won the light heavyweight season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Video timestamp: 1:15:33

Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar I

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Robbie Lawler def. Rory MacDonald

Event: UFC 189
Round: 4
Result: Robbie Lawler def. Rory MacDonald via TKO (punches) – Round 5, 1:00
Notes: Lawler defended the welterweight title in a rematch; one of the bloodiest fights in UFC history; Fight of the Night, and consensus Fight of the Year.
Video timestamp: 1:21:30

Justin Gaethje def. Michael Johnson

Event: TUF 25 Finale
Round: 1
Result: Justin Gaethje def. Michael Johnson via TKO (punches, knees) – Round 2, 4:48
Notes: Gaethje’s UFC debut after unbeaten run as WSOF lightweight champion; Gaethje won Performance of the Night as well as Fight of the Night.
Video timestamp: 1:27:24

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Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Conor McGregor

Event: UFC 229
Round: 2
Result: Khabib Nurmagomedov def. Conor McGregor via submission (neck crank) – Round 4, 3:03
Notes: Nurmagomedov defended the lightweight title, then set off a post-fight melee that got him, McGregor and others suspended; perhaps the most infamous fight in UFC history.
Video timestamp: 1:33:19

Israel Adesanya def. Kelvin Gastelum

Event: UFC 236
Round: 5
Result: Israel Adesanya def. Kelvin Gastelum via unanimous decision (48-46, 48-46, 48-46)
Notes: Adesanya won the interim middleweight title; Fight of the Night winner in Atlanta.
Video timestamp: 1:39:33

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Alexander Volkanovski def. Brian Ortega

Event: UFC 266
Round: 3
Result: Alexander Volkanovski def. Brian Ortega via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-44)
Notes: Dominant performance from Volkanovski to defend the featherweight title; Fight of the Night winner.
Video timestamp: 1:46:31

Jon Jones def. Alexander Gustafsson

Event: UFC 165
Round: 4
Result: Jon Jones def. Alexander Gustafsson via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
Notes: Jones defended the light heavyweight title for a UFC record sixth straight time; Fight of the Night winner; consensus Fight of the Year winner.
Video timestamp: 1:52:10

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Bryce Mitchell is willing to step up against Movsar Evloev, but he wants time.

Evloev (18-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) needs a new opponent for UFC 307 on Oct. 5 after Aljamain Sterling withdrew due to injury. Mitchell is down for the fight, but as long as he gets time to prep.

However, Mitchell (16-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) won’t make the mistake of taking another short-notice fight after he got knocked out cold by Josh Emmett at UFC 296 in December.

“(Sterling) hurt his elbow,” Mitchell told The Schmo. “You know what happened last time I took one on short notice. It was ugly. I’m wise enough to respect that I need a little bit more training. I want that fight. Give me two months, I’m down. That’s all I need.

“Two months, and I think that’s fair to ask. And if he really wants that fight, two months is not that long of a wait for what they’re paying him. He can survive two more months without a paycheck. I think he should fight me in two months.”

Mitchell clarifies that he wouldn’t take the fight away from Sterling, and would only fight Evloev if the unbeaten contender wasn’t willing to wait for too long. The pair were scheduled to fight on two occasions – UFC Fight Night 214, then UFC 288, but both fell apart.

“But also, I don’t want to take the fight from Aljo,” Mitchell said. “I wouldn’t take the fight from Aljo. I’m buddies with Aljo. So if Aljo don’t want to fight him in a couple of months because he needs more time and they need somebody, I’m the dude.

“There’s not a bigger draw. Who else are you going to get to fight Movsar that will fill up seats? Let’s be realistic: I’m going to bring the people there. People want to see me fight Movsar, I want to kick his ass because he’s being a little b*stard to me.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.

Sean O’Malley continues to troll Merab Dvalishvili.

At UFC 306, Dvalishvili earned a unanimous decision win over O’Malley, claiming the bantamweight title. In the immediate aftermath, O’Malley said he had “no excuses” however, “Suga” quickly changed his tune, later arguing that he should have won three rounds of the fight and arguing he was still the bantamweight champion. In response, Dvalishvili fired back at O’Malley with a video mocking the former champion as his “son.”

And now O’Malley has responded.

On Monday, O’Malley dropped another video on his social media, mocking Dvalishvili and their fight, saying he was working on things he learned in his last fight, before holding a heavy bag and lightly kneeing it, then feigning getting hurt to the body and head afterward.

“What’s up guys. I’ve got surgery on Oct. 3, [but that] doesn’t mean I’m not going to continue to improve and take away things I learned from my last fight and start implementing now.”

O’Malley is scheduled for surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip on Oct. 3, suffered before UFC 306, and hopes to return to action next summer. Meanwhile, Dvalishvili is likely to face Umar Nurmagomedov in the first defense of his bantamweight title.

John Wood thinks Alex Pereira will resort to wrestling Khalil Rountree at some point during UFC 307.

Rountree (13-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) challenges light heavyweight champion Pereira (11-2 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in the Oct. 5 main event from Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Rountree vowed not to wrestle the former two-division Glory Kickboxing champion to find success. His head coach Wood doubled down on that promise, and went as far as saying it’ll be Pereira needing to change up his game plan.

“I believe, honestly, my gut, I think Pereira shoots on Khalil,” Wood told ESPN. “I think he’s the one that breaks game first and shoots on Khalil to try to get that takedown, because that’s actually something he’s done. I mean, we ain’t shooting over here, I can tell you that.

“Khalil can – it’s not like we don’t train MMA, wrestling, wrestling defense, all these things. … I think Alex shoots first, but yes, I would be shocked if this fight goes five rounds. Someone is going out on their shield. It’s going to happen, and obviously I think I know who it is.”

According to DraftKings, Rountree is a +350 underdog against Pereira, who’s a -455 favorite to retain his title. Pereira is coming off knockouts of Jamahal Hill and Jiri Prochazka in the past six months. Rountree made it five straight wins when he knocked out former title challenger Anthony Smith in his most recent appearance in December 2023.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.