Mohsar Evloev and Aljamain Sterling at UFC 310 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
A key featherweight matchup between unbeaten Movsar Evloev and former 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling was featured on Saturday’s UFC 310 preliminary card.
Despite being perhaps the third most important match of the night, there was a lot of talk about the match’s placement on the card in the preliminary stages. While not necessarily a team that will miss out on the title, this fight will certainly move the winner closer to winning gold in a division currently dominated by Ilya Topria.
The first minute was spent on the kicking range, with both fighters awkwardly taking shots from their comfortable positions. Despite Sterling being a former 135er, there was no noticeable size difference. “The Funk Master” was the first to land a takedown, successfully forcing Evloev to his knees. After some effort, Stirling was able to get partially to the rear, but could not maintain that position for long as both men remained on the ground. After a big slam from Sterling, Evloev reversed and got a takedown of his own, landing in side control. Round 1 goes to Sterling as the bulk of the round is contested in the grappling department, with Sterling controlling most of the action.
Sterling timed his level change well early on, knocking Evloev to the ground in the second, but the Russian used a wither to get back up. After a scramble, Evloev momentarily obtained a crucifix and used it to target Sterling’s back. Once on his feet, Evloev landed several big right hands, clearly the biggest blow of the fight up to that point. After catching the kick, Evloev returned to the ground and gained control time in a three-quarter mount. The grappling of both fighters is so even that neither can maintain an advantageous position for long. Evloev has always had a big right arm and is clearly the more aggressive fighter in dominant positions, so he wins this round 10-9.
In the third, one-on-one, Evloev tried a home run spinning elbow, but he spun and lost his balance, allowing Sterling to lock him into a bodylock. Sterling eventually picked him up and slammed him, but Evloev quickly got back to his feet. Midway through the round, Sterling refused to let go of the body lock, content to waste time. Evloev’s Granby roll and Sterling’s failed backtake put Evloev on top for the first time in this round. Evloev took advantage of his superior position, landing more ground and pound and winning the round in the later rounds.
All three judges gave the same rating of 29-28, maintaining the Russian’s undefeated record and improving to 19-0. No one knows if this will be enough to guarantee him a title shot in the end. Beating a former champion like Aljamain Sterling should go a long way, but this is yet another fight in which Evloev misses out on his first UFC finish.
Official result: Mohsar Evloev def. Aljamain Sterling, unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
