Despite Joe Rogan interview snub and fan criticism, Aljamain Sterling asserts to have had ‘most dominant’ UFC 300 performance

Calvin Kattar aimed to rebound strongly from his long layoff since April 2022. After suffering a knee injury against Arnold Allen, Kattar failed to bounce back at UFC 300. In contrast, Aljamain Sterling bagged a dominant win against the Bostonian fighter. While many in the masses feel otherwise, Sterling stands by his claim of a dominant victory.

Sterling lost out on his bantamweight title strap to Sean O’Malley. With no rematch on the horizon, his move to featherweight became permanent. The ‘Funk Master’ successfully debuted in the 145′ weight class, edging out Kattar via a unanimous win – 30-27 on the three judges’ scorecards. Despite the grappling-heavy contest, Sterling detailed why it was the most dominant performance on the card.

Our fight, on that particular night, was not the most entertaining... But it was the most dominant fight I think you could’ve possibly looked at from the entire card…from top to bottom...arguably the top 4 'most dominant' in the entire fight card...You got a guy who, on average, lands about 4-5 strikes per minute, who was reduced to about 0.5.

Aljamain Sterling via his Official YouTube channel (@FunkMasterUFC)

‘The Funk Master’ was snubbed in his post-fight octagon interview with Joe Rogan as well. As an NCAA Division III All-American & a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, grappling comes naturally to Sterling. However, many fans resounded him playing it safe in his featherweight debut, labeling it as “lazy wrestling.” There was a lack of striking damage from both fighters, but Kattar couldn’t mount any offense.

MMA pundits had varying opinions as well. Michael Bisping found his efforts to not have earned a title shot. Meanwhile, MMA Junkie‘s top coverage journo Danny Segura writes it off as a “dominant” performance. Sterling’s entry in the featherweight division gives fresh matchups to the fans. As such, bouts against the likes of Yair Rodriguez, Brian Ortega, or Arnold Allen remain potentially exciting.

Aljamain Sterling aspired for more dominant finishes, thinks Brian Ortega bolsters his worth

The featherweight scene has a new player – Aljamain Sterling. The longtime bantamweight titleholder made his debut against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300. Sterling, 24-4 MMA, 16-4 UFC, used his dominant wrestling throughout. He outpointed the rival and gassed him out all the way to a decision win.

However, many fans and peers have thrown shade on his performance as lacking in mettle. The fighter also considers that he needs more dominant finishes if he rises in the ranks. As such, he has Brian Ortega in mind.

Give me the next best guy, I’ll take Brian Ortega respectfully. He’s a guy I got to train with one time, same management, there’s no bad blood or anything...I think I beat a guy like him, and I’m undeniable.

Aljamain Sterling at the UFC 300 post-fight press conference

Ortega is fresh off a submission win over Yair Rodriguez in February at UFC Mexico City. Currently, he’s the #3 ranked featherweight on the roster. Having sparred before, he considers ‘T-City’ a stylistic challenge where he can hone his skills more dominantly. Sterling could see himself earning a title shot with a win over Ortega. In reality, he might have to wait till Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski complete their featherweight title business before receiving his title shot.

In case you missed it:

• “Triple H might take a fighter to the WWE,” Henry Cejudo praises rival Aljamain Sterling for landing piledriver/powerbomb on Calvin Kattar at UFC 300
• Aljamain Sterling gets response from title contender Brian Ortega for next featherweight challenge

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