Former UFC champion Aljamain Sterling has an interesting view on the UFC 324 clash between Umar Nurmagomedov and Deiveson Figueiredo.
Tonight, Deiveson Figueiredo will attempt to pull off quite the upset when he collides with Umar Nurmagomedov. Umar is widely considered to be one of the best bantamweights in the world, but even with that being the case, it’s not clear as to when he’s going to get another title shot after failing to defeat Merab Dvalishvili for the belt last year.
Deiveson Figueiredo, meanwhile, has been on a rollercoaster ride at 135 pounds, and there are a lot of fans and pundits out there who feel as if his best days are behind him. Alas, this is one of the most exciting flyweight champions of all time we’re talking about here, and he is going to throw everything at Nurmagomedov in an attempt to prove that he still belongs at the championship level.
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Aljamain Sterling of all people had an interesting take on this Umar Nurmagomedov vs Deiveson Figueiredo fight.
Aljamain Sterling on Umar Nurmagomedov vs Deiveson Figueiredo
“No disrespect, but this is like a sacrificial lamb,” Sterling said of Figueiredo on his YouTube channel. “He had like one moment in that fight (vs. Yan), and I think he only had that moment because Yan was kind of like, ‘I can do whatever I want.’ Then he’s like, ‘OK, maybe I shouldn’t do whatever I want.’ I’m going with Umar. I think finish Round 2. I think submission. I’m going to say rear-naked choke Round 2.
“He’s just too small, man,” Sterling said of Figueiredo. “I’ve always said that about him. He’s tough, he’s got power, but he’s too small. … The writing is on the wall. Figgy, you are a flyweight. I know the weight cut sucks, but your probability of winning a belt again and staying at the top of the division is at flyweight. You can hang with some of the top dogs at ’35, but when you get to those bigger guys, it’s just going to be too hard. That’s just the reality.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
