Aljamain Sterling preparing for December bout against Movsar Evloev: ‘I got my contract this week’
“We’re waiting to see how the injury heals. I’m very optimistic I’ll be ready to go, it’s just a matter of whether I’ll be healthy enough to train for a guy like Movsar.”
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Aljamain Sterling celebrates Merab Dvalishvili’s title victory
Aljamain Sterling plans to be back in the Octagon before the end of 2024.
Originally scheduled for a fight against the undefeated Movsar Evloev in October, Sterling (24-4) withdrew due to an arm injury sustained in sparring. But the highly anticipated featherweight fight is still on pace to occur on a rescheduled date.
“Right now, we are scheduled for December 7,” said Sterling. “I got my contract this week. We’re waiting to see how the injury heals. I’m very optimistic I’ll be ready to go, it’s just a matter of whether I’ll be healthy enough to train for a guy like Movsar. He’s a very dangerous guy and I’m not overlooking him by any means. I’ll need all my tools to beat him.”
With a victory, Evloev (18-0) will be in line for a shot at UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway, who is fighting for the belt next month at UFC 308. Alexander Volkanovski is not expected back until 2025, and while Diego Lopes, who is fresh off a defeat of Brian Ortega, is also a top contender, Evloev holds a victory over him.
A former bantamweight champion, Sterling will catapult himself into the title picture if he can be the first to solve the Evloev puzzle.
“That would put me in title contention, especially if Volkanovski isn’t going to be back by then,” said Sterling. “I know Diego Lopes is technically going to be ahead of me. At the end of the day, the UFC can award the fight to whoever they want–like they did with Chito Vera, who was ranked sixth at the time, with a rematch against [Sean] O’Malley, even though Merab [Dvalishvili] was ranked number one. So anything can happen if you keep winning. My goal is to put on a great performance and dominate this next one.”
Sterling was in Dvalishvili’s corner at UFC 306 and witnessed his teammate’s crowning moment at the Sphere, where he defeated O’Malley to win the bantamweight title–the belt O’Malley had won by taking it from Sterling last summer.
“I thought it was a great fight and I’m incredibly proud of Merab,” said Sterling. “Everyone on the team, we’re all so happy for him.”
Sterling celebrating the title win at UFC 306
Longtime rivals, Sterling and O’Malley will never be confused for two close friends–though there is mutual respect between the two. That didn’t change the fact that it was sweet for Sterling to see his close friend put an end to O’Malley’s title reign.
“People say I’m biased or salty because I lost to Sean, but speaking subjectively, he’s very dangerous against guys who rush forward and give him an opportunity to counter,” said Sterling. ‘He’s not a great pocket fighter, and I’m not saying I am, I am speaking specifically about him–he has great lateral footwork, but Merab didn’t give him what he wanted so he couldn’t land the volume he wanted. His best defense is his step back counter, but Merab stuck to the game plan and didn’t let Sean do what he wanted. So it ended the way I thought it would–with people taking off those stupid wigs and throwing them on the ground because he lost.”
Sterling and Dvalishvili engaged in their customary pre-fight locker room bout. Far from a warm-up, the two put forth an extremely physical encounter to help each other prepare for their fight–and the ritual has become an indispensable part of their fight day routines. Sterling was still dealing with his arm injury, so Dvalishvili focused his attack on other parts of the body.
“I asked him not to pick me up–I didn’t want to re-injure my bad arm,” said Sterling. “He only beat me up for 15 minutes instead of 25 or 30, so I appreciated that. Some people say it’s stupid, but I put my body on the line for him just like he does for me. I’m there for him, he’s there for me. It works for us.”
Sterling was victorious at UFC 300
Sterling’s last fight took place in April at UFC 300, defeating Calvin Kattar in his first featherweight fight for the promotion. He also grappled this summer, winning an overtime bout against Jay Jay Wilson in July at Karate Combat’s Pit Submission Series 7.
“I love the grappling fights,” said Sterling. “It’s a chance to stay active before my next camp and compete against some really talented guys. This one was a lot of fun. Wilson’s a bigger guy, I believe he fights at 155, so he was a few pounds heavier, which was a good challenge for me. I thought there was a chance I was losing, but I was determined to fight until the very end. That gave me a chance to come back and win.”
Overtime does not exist in the UFC. Sterling believes fighters and fans would both relish OT in the UFC, even if it is a highly improbable to ever occur.
“Overtime would be cool for any type of draw scenario,” said Sterling. “Draws would have to be more prevalent for that to happen, but people would get behind going to a sudden-death round. It would be a lot better than going home with a draw.”
Sterling, 35, is closer to the end of his run as a fighter than he is to the beginning. Well aware of that, he is exploring options for the next stage in his career–both in and out of the sport.
“I’d love to get in the commentary booth,” said Sterling. “I threw my name in the hat, and I’m also working on my rum company–Funk Harbor Rum. It sips like a bourbon, and you can drink it on the rocks, you can drink it neat. A lot of people underestimate rum, but it’s more than a vacation drink. Once people get a little more hip to that, I think a lot of people are going to convert.”
Even with the outside ventures, fighting remains the priority for Sterling. If he cannot fight in December, it is unlikely Evloev will wait for him–adding more significance to this upcoming stretch.
“Time is flying,” said Sterling. “I’m trying to make the most of my last few fights. I hope to have a lot more fights in front of me, but Father Time is undefeated. I’m focused on taking it one fight at a time.”
Benoît Saint Denis returns home for must-win fight
Benoît Saint Denis enters a pivotal fight on Saturday, facing a tough test from the surging Renato Moicano.
The bout, which headlines the UFC Fight Night in Paris at Accor Arena, will air in the United States during the afternoon. And it is one with stakes for the lightweight division.
Moicano (19-5-1) has found new life in the cage. The 35-year-old has ripped off wins in five of his last six fights. A victory here should put him back in the top 10, which would set him up for an even bigger fight.
Benoît Saint Denis/Courtesy UFC
Saint Denis (13-2-1) hasn’t fought since losing to Dustin Poirier in March. After blowing through the lower tier of the division, he was outclassed by Poirier. He cannot afford two straight losses, which makes a strong response here even more critical.
A win here puts Saint Denis, 28, in a place where he is hovering around title contention. A loss, however, gives credence to the notion that he simply cannot hang with the top of the division.
A former member of the French military, Saint Denis will have the crowd behind him in Paris.
Familiar challenger re-emerging for Alex Pereira
Alex Pereira’s old rival Artem Vakhitov debuts on the Contender Series on Tuesday, October 8
A decorated kickboxer, Vakhitov heads to the Octagon in search of a UFC contract. If he can string together a few impressive victories, the possibility exists that he will eventually have a shot at Pereira, who is the reigning light heavyweight champion.
Artem Vakhitov/courtesy GLORY
Vakhitov, 33, and Pereira split their two fights in GLORY. The chance of a rematch in the UFC is remote–but not entirely out of the question. In order for it to have any possibility of happening, Vakhitov (2-1) first needs to defeat French prospect Islem Masraf.
Masref (3-0) made headlines in a PFL Europe fight earlier this year when he delivered a 10-second head kick knockout. In preparation for the bout, Vakhitov is training with Kill Cliff FC in Deerfield, Florida–with Henri Hooft overseeing sparring sessions.
Vakhitov made his name in GLORY as a two-time light heavyweight champion. He was part of a controversial decision in 2022 when GLORY terminatated the contracts of all Russian athletes after complications following the invasion of Ukraine. The reigning light heavyweight champ at the time, Vakhitov was released.
“I found out from a post on Instagram,” Vakhitov told me through a translator in 2021. “That was disrespectful. Other organizations, like UFC and Bellator, and others in professional boxing, they did not do anything like this. It is not right.”
During that interview, Vakhitov vowed that he would only make the move to MMA if he had proper time to prepare. Three years later, he is knocking on UFC’s door.
The Pick ‘Em Section
UFC Fight Night lightweight bout: Renato Moicano vs. Benoît Saint Denis
Pick: Benoît Saint Denis
UFC Fight Night middleweight bout: Brendan Allen vs. Nassourdine Imavov
Pick: Nassourdine Imavov
UFC Fight Night featherweight bout: William Gomis vs. Joanderson Brito
Pick: Joanderson Brito
UFC Fight Night welterweight bout: Kevin Jousset vs. Bryan Battle
Pick: Kevin Jousset
UFC Fight Night lightweight bout: Farès Ziam vs. Matt Frevola
Pick: Farès Ziam