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Former UFC Champ Aljamain Sterling Gets New Opponent for Polaris 25 Super Fight

Aljamain Sterling gets a new grappling opponent as Nathaniel Wood has withdrawn.

Mathew Riddle

Former UFC Champ Aljamain Sterling Gets New Opponent for Polaris 25 Super Fight
Former UFC Champ Aljamain Sterling Gets New Opponent for Polaris 25 Super Fight /

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will now face ex-UFC contender Mike Grundy at POLARIS 25 on September 30.

Grundy is an esteemed English grappler who is primarily known for his freestyle wrestling. He ended his UFC run with one victory and three straight losses.

Grundy fills in for Nathaniel Wood, who pulled out of the grappling super fight due to his announced booking at UFC 294 in October. Wood is slated to face Tajikistani threat Muhammad "Hillman" Naimov.

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Fans might be disappointed with the announcement given Wood's current streak in the UFC. "The Prospect", despite appearing like a new contender, has actually been in the promotion since 2018, debuting with three straight submission victories before being finished by former title challenger John Dodson.

Wood steadied his boat with a victory over John Castaneda, before dropping a unanimous decision loss to Casey Kenney. Several cancellations saw Wood inactive for the better part of 2021, through to late 2022. Since his return, Wood has looked near flawless with another three-fight streak against Charles Rosa, Charles Jourdain, and Andre Fili. However, it's safe to say he has his hands full with Muhammad Naimov.

Naimov stunned spectators with a come-from-behind knockout over Jamie Mullarkey back in June. "Hillman" stepped in as a UFC debutant with little expectation, only to blow viewers away with his tenacity and fan-pleasing style. Naimov earned himself a performance of the night bonus and a place on every UFC fan's fighter-radar.

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Mathew Riddle
MATHEW RIDDLE

Mathew is a UK-based combat sports journalist, graphic designer, and SEO expert with over five years of experience in digital marketing and a dedicated four-year track record in MMA journalism. He joined MMAKO in 2023. Mathew's insights have been featured on The Fight Fanatic, Heavy on UFC, Fansided, and Sportskeeda. Reach him at mr@thefightfanatic.com.

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