Aljamain Sterling Returns to Competition in Grappling Bout
Aljamain Sterling returns to competition tonight, competing against Kevin Dantzler in a grappling bout.
The contest at FURY Pro 8, which streams live on the UFC Fight Pass, takes place at 160 pounds. That is much higher than the 135-pound limit Sterling had during his iconic run as a UFC bantamweight, where he crafted a nine-fight win streak–and successfully defended the bantamweight title three times–before losing to Sean O’Malley over the summer.
Courtesy Zuffa LLC
After lengthy speculation, Sterling will make his featherweight debut in the Octagon this April at UFC 300 against Calvin Kattar. He is using the grappling bout against Dantzler as a barometer, both for his grappling and overall competitive instincts, as he prepares to succeed in a new division.
“For me, I love the challenge,” said Sterling. “Dantzler, he is a guy who trains year-round, full-time in jiu jitsu. It’s a great way to jump back in the mix and see where I am in terms of my grappling. I get into the athletic nerves, the competition, and I get to see how good I really am.”
Sterling has fought once before professionally as a featherweight. That took place in Cage Fury Fighting Championship in 2011, where he defeated Evan Chmielski by TKO. Yet a considerable amount of time has passed between now and then, so he is taking advantage of his time off with the grappling bouts.
In addition to tonight’s bout, Sterling was victorious in a Polaris grappling bout against Mike Grundy this past September. He will test his skills again next month in a grappling bout against Chase Hooper, which represents another opportunity to sharpen his skills against bigger opponents before stepping into the Octagon against Kattar.
“This has always been a passion of mine,” said Sterling. “I’m still doing full-on MMA training. I pride myself on being ‘The Backpack of Jitsu’, and I want to see how good I really am in the grappling department.
“Who knows, when I’m done in MMA, maybe I’ll go full-time in BJJ competitions.”
