Aljamain Sterling on Locker Room Fights Against Merab Dvalishvili: ‘You Can’t Argue With The Results’

“We do that before every single fight”

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Aljamain Sterling: “We do that before every single fight”

Before Merab Dvalishvili’s UFC 298 bout against Henry Cejudo in February, he engaged in a slobberknocker beforehand in the locker room against Aljamain Sterling.

In a unique pre-fight ritual, the two teammates take turns beating each other up before one of them makes the walk to the Octagon.

“We beat the crap out of each other,” said Sterling. “That’s the way we warm up. We do that before every single fight. It gets us nice and loose.”

A former bantamweight champion, Sterling (23-4) competes in his first featherweight bout since 2011 tomorrow when he fights Calvin Kattar at UFC 300. If he is wearing any bruises as he steps into the cage, it will be because Dvalishvili landed the right shot backstage.

“Definitely,” said Sterling. “These fights, they’re a little bit of everything. He’s not wearing shin guards, he’s throwing kicks. I take it to his body. [Coach] Ray [Longo] is in the back laughing, saying, ‘This is crazy.’ It works well for us. You can’t argue with the results.”

Aljamain Sterling

Courtesy Zuffa LLC

UFC 300 marks Sterling’s first fight since dropping the bantamweight belt to Sean O’Malley over the summer. Instead of his fight taking place in the main event, where he has resided for his past two bouts, Sterling will face Kattar in the second-to-last bout of the prelims.

“People have asked me about card placement,” said Sterling. “It’s a stacked card from top to bottom, and I’m honored to be part of it. I get paid the same, I fight earlier, and I get three rounds instead of fight. I’m here to capitalize on the opportunity.”

Aljamain Sterling

Courtesy Zuffa LLC

As a result of a lengthy title reign, Sterling has not prepared for a three-round bout since 2020. His opponent, Kattar, has not fought at all since October of 2022, which is when he tore his ACL in a loss against Arnold Allen.

MMA is a small world, and Sterling has watched Kattar (23-7) from afar for the majority of his career. He knows that earning a victory here will require a tenacious performance.

“Sh--, I know I’m in for a tough night,” said Sterling. “Calvin is tough. I’ve put in a lot of time preparing. If he wants to stand and strike, I’m ready. If the opportunity presents itself, I’ll look for my takedowns. I’m prepared for wherever the fight goes.”

Aljamain Sterling

Courtesy Zuffa LLC

A missing element to this bout is that there is no title at stake. Sterling’s last five fights have been fought with a championship on the line, a streak that will end here. Yet a victory would catapult him into title contention for the featherweight belt, which is currently held by the undefeated Ilia Topuria.

“There’s a different aura when the belt is involved,” said Sterling. “Unless I’m asked about it, I really haven’t thought too much about the title. That last fight [against O’Malley], I feel like that wasn’t the best version of myself.

“I’m properly healed and rested, and three rounds is a lot nicer than five. I’m better at three. Those weight cuts were getting harder and harder. With less of a weight cut, I’ll have more energy. I’m excited to show what I can do.”

The Pick ‘Em Section

UFC 300 light heavyweight title bout: Alex Pereira (c) vs. Jamahal Hill

• Pick: Jamahal Hill

UFC 300 women’s strawweight title bout: Zhang Weili (c) vs. Yan Xiaonan

• Pick: Zhang Weili

UFC 300 lightweight BMF bout: Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway

• Pick: Justin Gaethje

UFC 300 lightweight bout: Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan

• Pick: Charles Oliveira

UFC 300 middleweight bout: Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage

• Pick: Bo Nickal

UFC 300 light heavyweight bout: Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksander Rakic

• Pick: Jiri Prochazka

UFC 300 featherweight bout: Calvin Kattar vs. Aljamain Sterling

• Pick: Aljamain Sterling

UFC 300 women’s bantamweight bout: Holly Holm vs. Kayla Harrison

• Pick: Kayla Harrison

UFC 300 featherweight bout: Sodiq Yusuff vs. Diego Lopes

• Pick: Diego Lopes

UFC 300 lightweight bout: Jalin Turner vs. Renato Moicano

• Pick: Jalin Turner

UFC 300 women’s strawweight bout: Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez

• Pick: Jessica Andrade

UFC 300 lightweight bout: Bobby Green vs. Jim Miller

• Pick: Jim Miller

UFC 300 bantamweight bout: Cody Garbrandt vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

• Pick: Deiveson Figueiredo

PFL 2 light heavyweight bout: Impa Kasanganay vs. Alex Polizzi

• Pick: Impa Kasanganay

Last week: 2-3

2024 record: 27-27