Aljamain Sterling continues his climb to the Featherweight title after already conquering the Bantamweight division. In a dominate performance the 36 year old UFC veteran defeated No. 7-ranked Youssef Zalal. The 29 year old Zalal was riding high on an eight-fight win streak, his most recent victory coming via armbar against knockout artist Josh Emmett. However, youth and confidence weren’t enough to overcome experience.
This bout marked Zalal’s first time being scheduled for a five-round fight; it was Sterling’s seventh. Considered by some to be the best Bantamweight champion of all time, Aljamain moved to the Featherweight division due to strenuous weight cuts and to make room for his best friend and fellow champion, Merab Dvalishvili.
So far, Aljamain’s only divisional loss is to Movsar Evloev in a grappler’s delight that some believe Aljo may have won. During last night’s main event, aside from some third-round success, it was a grappling clinic put on by the former champion. He secured the body triangle multiple times while continuously throwing punches. Even when the men found themselves back on their feet for brief moments, Sterling never let up. Mixing in constant punches, kicks, knees, and clinch work.
It became very apparent that Sterling could weaponize pace in a way that Zalal can’t. Out landing Zalal 230 to 60 in strikes landed, and over ten minutes of control time. Credit to Youssef, who hung in there and kept fighting. Lesser fighters might have given Sterling their neck or a limb and called it a day, but Zalal’s fighting spirit was on full display against the former champion.
During the Octagon interview with Daniel Cormier, Sterling declared his intention to stay more active and called out the division’s champion, Alexander Volkanovski. Aljamain Sterling has already left a lasting legacy in one weight class, and he is well on his way to fighting for gold once again.
Sterling Breaks Down Victory and Eyes Next Title Opportunity
Aljamain Sterling joined the desk after his win in dominant fashion. Desk analysts included Dustin Poirier, Alan Jouban, and Michael Chiesa. When asked if the fight went the way he thought it would, Sterling responded, “Like I say, man, once I take you down and get your back, it’s a wrap. That was the game plan.”
Sterling continued by explaining how aware he was of the knees up the middle. “One of the tells he had when we studied tape was that when guys attack the body, he tends to drop his hands and take steps backward. So we used that to our advantage.”
When asked if any of the knees landed, Sterling admitted, “It clipped me a little bit. I had to back up and not get into a firefight. I’m the veteran here. Don’t fight your ego; let him make a mistake.”
Aljamain called Round 3 a “throwaway round,” saying he refused to put himself in danger of being submitted. “I took it off a little bit so I could push hard the last two rounds.”
Addressing statements made by Zalal regarding having submitted him in training previously, Sterling said, “Yeah, he choked me one time, but I was coming back from vacation.” Laughing with the former fighters, he added, “It was a rear-naked choke.”
Being all class, the former champion was very complimentary of Youssef Zalal, telling the analysts, “We’ve trained together. He’s gotten so much better and improved. It’s the name of the game. I’m just glad I got the win.”
Taking a moment to promote his business, Sterling showed up to the interview with a bottle of his Funk Harbor Rum. Cups were passed around as “The Funkmaster” shared a drink with the desk team and spoke on the state of the division.
Regarding his future, Sterling told them, “I’m calling for my shot because I think I’ve earned it, but if they want me to do one more, I’ve never turned down a fight.” Sterling made it clear that whether his next step is a title shot or another contender bout, he’s determined to keep his momentum rolling toward UFC gold.
