UFC gave former champion a one-hour deadline to accept his return against a low-ranked opponent

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling revealed that the UFC gave him just a one-hour deadline to accept a featherweight bout against Kevin Vallejos. The fight is scheduled to take place at UFC Qatar on November 21 at the Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena. Sterling explained on The Ariel Helwani Show that he had to agree immediately without consulting his team.

Sterling currently holds three wins in four fights at featherweight and wanted to compete once more before the end of the year. His opponent, the 24-year-old Argentine prospect Vallejos, holds an 18-1 MMA record, sits at No. 9 in the featherweight rankings, and enters the contest following a first-round knockout victory over Josh Emmett.