Former UFC Bantamweight champion and BJJ black belt Aljamain Sterling expressed disappointment with the scoring system following his recent loss to Kevin Dantzler in a grappling bout.
Sterling, who had previously lost his UFC Bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292, returned to competition in a grappling match at Fury Pro 8 on December 30th. The 34 year old had previously defeated Mike Grundy at Polaris 25 in September 2023 and hoped to secure his second grappling victory of the year against Dantzler.
Sterling has competed in the 135 pound weight class in the UFC to date. The grappling match took place at 160 pounds and the former UFC champion appeared to be the larger competitor on the mat. He was also the more active fighter in the contest and gained the advantage over Dantzler in most exchanges. However, the judges’ decision was in favor of his opponent.
Sterling has strongly protested the result since the fight concluded. When speaking with MMA journalist John Morgan, he questioned the legitimacy of the scoring system, saying “I did not understand how they were scoring the match. Another competitor cannot drag himself from the mat doing nothing and be considered the winner. Yes, the sport is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. But I am certain that if this had been a street fight, my opponent would not have acted in that way. So why are we turning the sport into some kind of strange spectacle where you can win a match while doing nothing on your back?”
Aljamain Sterling very upset with his loss to Kevin Dantzler 😬 #FURYPRO8 pic.twitter.com/moL3rgHoAa
— Combat Sports Today 📰 (@CSTodayNews) December 31, 2023
Speaking further, Sterling criticized Dantzler’s strategy for the fight, adding “Do not pull guard from standing. Do not start the match sitting down. That should result in an immediate point deduction. Never allow another man to drag you by your ankles in front of your loved ones and friends. That is disgraceful.
Sterling reacted to a video clip posted on the UFC Fight Pass X account and mocked the result.
Aljamain getting VERY tired of Dantzler's "offense"#FuryPRO8 pic.twitter.com/Bvv8a8x1Y8
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) December 31, 2023
