“With your Movsars and Lerones, they’re probably more deserving.” It looks like Alexander Volkanovski didn’t want a rematch with Diego Lopes. But here we are, with the UFC locked in for the headlining fight at UFC 325 in Sydney. Undoubtedly, Lerone Murphy, who has been on a stellar run, continuing his 18-fight undefeated run, last knocking out Aaron Pico at UFC 319, felt like he deserved better: a shot at the title, at the very least.

The #4-ranked featherweight took to X, expressing his disappointment: “Missing the opportunity to fight one of featherweight’s GOATs is what hurts me the most. It’s not about who’s the best anymore. It’s about who’s most popular.” Aljamain Sterling seems to share that sentiment.

Aljamain Sterling calls out UFC’s brutal reality

Needless to say, Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 has garnered a lot of traction on the internet, and almost none of it is good. Even Volkanovski’s head coach, Joe Lopez, was opposed to the idea, believing Evloev and Murphy to be better deserving of the shot “on paper.” Sterling joined the conversation after Championship Rounds posted Murphy’s tweet on X.

“I agree with Lerone. Even if I didn’t get it, him or Movsar for sure should’ve been the guy. Movsar got passed over by Lopes once, and he gets another opportunity for gold lol. Fair play to Lopes, but you can see why guys start to lose love for the game. Cold world,” Sterling bluntly stated.

From a business perspective, the matchmaker’s decision makes sense, as the UFC wants eyeballs and viewership to boost profits. But from a pure MMA standpoint, a rematch doesn’t contribute much to the sport.

Movsar Evloev has been a fierce contender, too, ranked at No. 2,. However, the featherweight has been sidelined due to an injury he sustained in a training camp, with his last bout coming last year at UFC 300 against Aljamain Sterling. But Diego Lopes stole the spotlight and the title shot after handing Jean Silva his first career defeat.

Besides Murphy and Evloev, Sterling was also eyeing a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski, heating the matchmaking battle. In the end, the decision boiled down to a disappointing bout that had happened before, forcing Volkanovski into a “no-win” situation.

But, even though Sterling himself was a potential contender for the fight, the former bantamweight champion has been vocally supporting the undefeated contender throughout.

‘Funk Master’ urges fans to call out the UFC

The UFC is an organization that puts together fights. But more than that, it’s a business model that thrives on fan engagement and television ratings. Sterling perfectly understands this game and has found a way to break the matrix, bringing more liberty and autonomy to the fighters. Ever since Murphy raised his voice against the matchmakers prioritizing fame over merit, the bantamweight has taken this plea to X.

“It’s up to the fans to start complaining about this nonsense. It’s obvious the fighters can’t do anything but fight who they offer us. The UFC caters to YOU fans. Do you guys want merit or popularity in these marquee fights? Speak on it. All of you,” wrote ‘Aljo’.

Reposting a tweet by Ariel Helwani on the declining quality of UFC matchups, Sterling further wrote: “It’s 110% not what it used to be. I ride for the company, but this sh*t is beyond frustrating! I get their POV, but stop saying we give the fans the fights that they want to see, and we make the BEST fight the BEST! It’s way more frequent now and extremely hard to ignore. Especially at your weight class.”

Aljamain Sterling understands who truly holds the power and has been directing it back to the fans, who get to choose whom they turn on their TVs for. However, Volkanovski vs Lopes isn’t a standalone disappointing title fight. Fans are scratching their heads over Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett getting the title shot when Arman Tsarukyan just reeled the MMA fandom in with his dominance. What fight announcement disappointed you the most?