UFC news: Aljamain Sterling demands pay rise before signing contract for TJ Dillashaw fight

Aljamain Sterling is ready to enter the octagon and defend his Bantamweight title, but the UFC star is first ensuring all his demands are met.

The 32-year-old American is rumoured to be fighting TJ Dillashaw for the belt, with many suggesting the fight was booked for UFC 279 on September 10.

However, Sterling has revealed that the fight is far from made, with debates over the fighter pay still ongoing.

"The one thing I want to disclose is there is no fight until there's ink on paper," Sterling said.

"And as of right now my contract is exactly the same and usually when it's not a title fight and when you win a fight, there's an escalator.

"There's been no escalator for this fight. I'd like to think that I did my part, did the right things, and even allowed myself to be the bad guy in the last outing with Petr Yan. I helped play up the storyline.

"So, one would think that being a company man would actually help you in the long run. I did my job, as of right now… I'm training, hoping that we can come to some type of agreement to get some type of pay bump which naturally happens in all the contracts.

"For me, I want to make sure we get the deal right before we just jump into another fight.

"At the end of the day, I climbed through the ranks, worked my ass off, and I played my position in terms of helping to promote the fights. I want to be a company man but also at the same time look out for my best interests."

Sterling is one of many fighters who have demanded increased pay, with Dana White facing plenty of criticism for his payment structure in the UFC.

White is yet to respond to Sterling, but it's clear that the Bantamweight champion is eager to bump up the contract.

Sterling successfully defended his belt against Petr Yan in UFC 273, with the American on the right side of a split decision. Yan lost the belt in their first UFC 259 bout after being disqualified for throwing an illegal knee.

As for Dillashaw, he earned his title shot by beating Cory Sandhagen last summer, having made a return to MMA following a two-year layoff.

It'd no doubt be a blockbuster fight, but it may not happen if White doesn't cough up an improved contract.