Aljamain Sterling relied on his striking for much of the UFC Shanghai co-headliner. | Getty/UFC It may not have looked like it, but Aljamain Sterling was in survival mode down that stretch at UFC Shanghai.

On Saturday night, Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling are now set to compete at a catchweight of 153 pounds. Despite the promotion’s call to move the bout to being closer to a lightweight contest than a featherweight one, fans were still concerned for Ortega after he stepped on the scales.

In spite of a scare that the fight was off, the UFC Shanghai co-main event featuring Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling will remain on. Some people in the MMA

Brian Ortega is still competing tomorrow morning (Sat.., Aug. 23, 2025) at UFC Shanghai from Shanghai, China, but not after an apparent ride in an ambulance. On Thursday evening, it was revealed that Ortega was not going to be able to make weight for his co-main event matchup against fellow UFC featherweight Aljamain Sterling.