The unknown going into one of the biggest preliminary bouts on UFC 300 card was Calvin Kattar’s ability to quell Aljamain Sterling’s wrestling ability.
Well, it is known now.
Sterling, one of the all-time great bantamweights (135 lbs.) who moved up to the featherweight division (145 lbs.), was arguably among the sport’s greatest competitors on the mat.
And that proved too much for the Methuen native, who was dominated by Sterling in the three-round matchup – all three judgers scored it 30-27 – in Las Vegas, shown on ESPN.
While over the first two rounds, Kattar found ways to work up to his feet but he struggled to break free from Sterling.
In the final round, Kattar was basically left helpless for the entire third round due to Sterling’s ability to hold him down.
At one point, Sterling picked Kattar up with about two minutes remaining in the bout and “pile-drived” him back onto his back.
The crowd did start booing, as there was little to no action the last five minutes.
Sterling gave credit to Kattar after the bout.
“He’s a tough dude,” said Sterling. “It took me a while [to get control] in the first round.”
While it appeared that Kattar did not suffer much physical damage, he has now lost three straight bouts at the 145-pound weight class.
He lost a close bout with Josh Emmitt in controversial split decision and then his bout with Allen Arnold was stopped when he was injured.
His future as a “championship contender” is up for discussion, now at 36 years old.
From his discussions before the bout, win or lose, he did not appear to be ready for retirement.