UFC bantamweight Aljamain Sterling returns to action Sunday, but not in a mixed martial arts bout.
Coming off of a decision win over former 135-pound champion Renan Barao at UFC 214 in July, ”Funk Master” is set to take on Sergio da Silva in a 10-minute submission-only grappling match at Rise Invitational 2, which takes place Oct. 15 in Westbury, NY.
Both fighters confirmed the news to MMA Fighting.
Sterling holds a 14-2 record in MMA with six submission victories. He fought da Silva in his MMA debut back in 2011, winning via unanimous decision. “Funk Master” is on a two-fight winning streak over Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts Renan Barao and Augusto Mendes.
da Silva (6-9 in MMA) fought at Bellator’s first trip to Madison Square Garden in June, losing to Matthew Rizzo via third-round submission after admitting to trying to cheat the scale at the weigh-ins. da Silva was recently accused of robbing a bank in New York. His trial was postponed to December, and he denies the allegations.