Aljamain Sterling (14-2) climbed up to 8th place in the UFC bantamweight rankings after defeating former champion Renan Barao at UFC 214 in July. Now, after a little uncertainty, Sterling looks to improve his position by beating 7th ranked Marlon Moraes at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega.
Originally Sterling was due to face Rani Yahya in Fresno, CA. However, an injury took Yahya out of the bout. His fight falling apart coincided with Dominick Cruz pulling out of a fight with Jimmie Rivera.