Aljamain Sterling takes pride in achieving feat Zabit Magomedsharipov failed against Calvin Kattar at UFC 300

Aljamain Sterling put on a masterclass against Calvin Kattar in the prelims of UFC 300. The former champion is known for his grappling prowess and didn’t disappoint. He showcased a level of dominance that had many questioning if Kattar even wanted to be there. Recently, Sterling talked about the impact that Zabit Magomedsharipov had on him.

Aljamain Sterling opened up about his previous training session with UFC’s biggest ‘What if,’ Zabit Magomedsharipov. He was a rising prospect in the featherweight division of the UFC and almost knocked Sterling out unconscious during a training session. After UFC 300, Sterling opened up about his fear of facing Kattar due to his opponent having a good performance against Zabit in the past.

Zabit TKO/KO’d me in training back in 2017, when I smaller and had NO idea who he was. This fight was scary for me bc of how well he fought Zabit, and I’m thoroughly happy with the performance over a beast of a competitor.

Aljamain Sterling via X

A fan tweet revealed that not even Zabit was able to take down Kattar. The Dagestani fighter faced Calvin Kattar in 2019. It was a short-notice three-round fight main event. Kattar lost a close decision to the Dagestani fighter. However, everyone who watched the fight remembers that Zabit had cardio issues whenever the fight went past two rounds. As such, fans and analysts felt Kattar would have won if the bout was scheduled for five rounds.

Zabit could not enforce his dominant wrestling on Kattar, but Sterling could. In fact, fighters like Zabit, Josh Emmett, Dan Ige, and Ricardo Lamas went a combined 1/19 against Kattar in takedowns. On the other hand, Sterling alone took him down 8 times from 13 attempts.

As such, the victory was a testament to Sterling’s ever-evolving skillset and unwavering determination. Some may criticize Sterling’s lack of finishes, but others will undoubtedly appreciate the sheer artistry of his performance. 

Aljamain Sterling recalls his sparring against Zabit Magomedsharipov

Aljamain Sterling share­d a shocking tale of sparring with the intense­ Zabit Magomedsharipov. The story showed Ste­rling’s drive to improve. It warned him of MMA’s harsh re­ality and evolved him into a better fighter.

He sparred with Magomedsharipov in 2017. At that time, Zabit Magomedsharipov had just debuted in the UFC. Ste­rling was a bantamweight who had not yet become the champion. Ste­rling described the knockout experience on the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast:

I had one [sparring session] with Zabit… He threw a 360 spinning ninja kick and the leg wrapped around my neck. I closed my eyes. I had never seen a ninja jump at me like that in a room, ever.

Aljamain Sterling via The Joe Rogan Experience podcast

Magomedsharipov had only six fights in the UFC, and his run was extremely impressive. His fights against Kyle Bochniak and Brandon Davis were some of the most memorable ones. Magomedsharipov also fought Sterling’s recent opponent, Calvin Kattar, in his last UFC bout and won a close decision on the scorecard. The Russian fighter’s unorthodox striking style and uncanny accuracy had bewildered many an opponent. This made Sterling’s admission all the more accurate.

In case you missed it:

• WATCH: “Square off with yourself motherf**ker” – Nate Diaz leaves Jorge Masvidal hanging and abruptly walks out of press conference
• “It’s how I’ve competed since I was a kid,” Justin Gaethje has no regrets after WAR with Max Holloway at UFC 300

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