Aljamain Sterling knows all too well that his victory over Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 isn’t enough to give him an immediate title shot at 145 pounds.
“The Funk Master” controlled the fight with takedowns and control, sweeping the scorecards in his featherweight debut, but it wasn’t a particularly noteworthy effort on a night filled with memorable performances. Sterling opted to move up to 145 pounds after losing his bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 last August, ending a reign that included three successful title defenses.
“Everyone is telling me to cheer up, but I’m a little down with my performance,” Sterling said in a backstage interview at the UFC on Saturday night. “Mentally, from my internal standpoint, I felt like if I’m going to challenge for the belt, I need to be able to do a little bit more. I’m my own worst critic sometimes. I know they did well, but I feel like that’s what the championship is all about.
“It was my first time [at 145 pounds]. It was the most nervous I’ve ever been in a fight. The unknown is coming. A tough veteran. A guy who is hard to put away will beat a lot of good guys. It’s a scary match. I just wanted to hope for the best because I didn’t know what was going to happen. Thankfully, that was enough to get the job done. ”
To his credit, Sterling did not allow Kattar to display his trademark boxing. According to UFCStats.com, the “Boston Finisher” only landed eight significant strikes in 15 minutes. Still, Coach Sterling praised Qatar’s solid defense during the loss.
“I know it was very one-sided, but I felt like he stalled out well in a lot of positions,” Sterling said. “It was like, if he can stall me there, how much more can I do? It’s like a measurement between.
“I think his defense on the ground was better.” [than I expected]. I thought I could get really open with ground and pound, but he was able to tie my hands. That was shocking because when I’m in that position, I feel like I can take some really good shots there and he did a great job defensively. ”
Although Sterling was able to get his point across through grappling, he admitted that the physical disparity between Qatar and his previous bantamweight opponents was significant.
“When I looked at him on the other side of the Octagon, I thought, ‘Damn, this mother has grown up.’ This isn’t bantamweight…this is the big boys now,” Sterling said. “Ten pounds makes a difference. Men are taller, longer, and have more range. That was the biggest thing I saw. When I was in the clinch, I felt like my strength was equal and I didn’t feel like I was losing in any department.”
By defeating Qatar, Sterling has already established himself as a potential 145-pound contender. However, the path to the top of the division is uncertain at this point.
“Definitely top eight. I think I’m right in that bubble,” Sterling said. “There are some guys ahead of me that I think I can beat…You never know, sometimes styles create fights. So it really depends on that. You never know who’s going to line up next. I have to take some time to look at the department and figure out what my next goal is.”
“I think I’m right in that bubble.”
Aljamain Sterling (@FunkmasterMMA) I believe his win over Calvin Kattar establishes him as a true featherweight contender 🔊🆙
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#UFC300 Results ➡️: https://t.co/eG3JSlBZR0
— UFC News (@UFCNews)
April 14, 2024
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