UFC 310 Fighter Backs Aljamain Sterling to Dethrone Champion Ilia Topuria

Bryce Mitchell rates Aljamain Sterling's chances against undefeated champion Ilia Topuria ahead of UFC 310.

Christopher De Santiago | Dec 5, 2024

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Bryce Mitchell has high hopes for Aljamain Sterling now that he's in the featherweight division.

After collecting more title defenses than any previous champion at bantamweight, the former UFC titleholder has started a new chapter at 145lbs that began with a dominant win over Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 in April. Deadset on a second belt, Sterling will have to get by Movsar Evloev this Saturday at UFC 310 to keep those dreams alive.

Also on the card and hunting for the same title is Sterling's teammate Bryce Mitchell, who returns against Kron Gracie. A ways off from a title fight with Ilia Topuria, Mitchell says he'd only fight Sterling if the champonship was on the line - though, Mitchell doesn't see it ever happening, he told The Schmo.

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After training day in and day out with Sterling, "Thug Nasty" thinks his teammate has solid potential to become a two-weight world champion someday, a feat not many fighters can say they have accomplished.

"He could beat Topuria," Mitchell said of Sterling ahead of UFC 310 this weekend. "He could beat anybody in the division. I mean, I train with the guy. I know him. I mean, he's literally that good."

UFC 310 Fighter Backs Aljamain Sterling to Dethrone Champion Ilia Topuria

UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria. / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Ilia Topuria is a puzzle that has yet to be figured out, with his foundation in Greco-Roman wrestling but possessing superb talent for hand-to-hand combat also, knocking out the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway this year alone.

Aljamain Sterling isn't what you'd call a knockout artist and is instead one of the best grapplers we've ever seen in the lower weight classes, taking down TJ Dillashaw, Petr Yan, Cory Sandhagen, and even Olympic Gold Medalist Henry Cejudo.

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"The Funkmaster" has more than a few tricks up his sleeve (including a kneebar) which makes the world wonder how he'd fare against Topuria on the ground in a potential fight down the stretch.

Bryce Mitchell tested Ilia Topuria's grappling in their past fight at UFC 282 in 2022 but the American was submitted in the second round, later claiming he had been battling the flu in the lead-up.

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