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At UFC 259, Bantamweight king Petr Yan will be making his first title defense. His opponent, No. 1 ranked Aljamain Sterling, is eager to capture the 135 lbs strap and dethrone the Russian fighter.
Ahead of his fight with Yan, Aljamain Sterling is preparing for the patented Dagestani ground game that 'No Mercy' will present. Dagestani fighters are known for being well-versed in combat sambo, a Soviet wrestling-based martial art. 'Funk Master' Aljamain Sterling recently took to Twitter to reveal his newly incorporated Dagestani style of training.
Dagestani sambo (also known as combat sambo) was developed in the early 1920s to upskill the Russian servicemen with hand-to-hand combat abilities. MMA athletes originating from Russia implement this fighting style inside the cage effectively. Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev are fighters who have found success by utilizing this martial art.
Judging by his recent social media posts, it looks like Aljamain Sterling has also acknowledged the dominant combat style that Sambo is.
Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling have been taking shots at each other on Twitter leading up to their fight at UFC 259. The matchup is set to be a barn burner as the rivalry between the two combatants gets heated up.
“I’m training to break him and destroy him. I can’t see what he’s going to offer me and I’m determined to prove to everyone that I deserve to be champion. I’m gonna defend this belt for a long time. Right now, mentally, I’m so strong," said Petr Yan in an interview with MMA Fighting.
Who are the other title challengers apart from Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259?
The UFC 259 fight card is loaded with three great title fights. Along with the bantamweight title, the light heavyweight and women's featherweight belt will also be on the line.
Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is moving up a weight division to challenge current light heavyweight king Jan Blachowicz. With a victory at UFC 259, Adesanya will become the fifth UFC athlete to become a two-division champion.
Former Invicta FC champion Megan Anderson will go up against 'Lioness' Amanda Nunes. The featherweight title will be up for grabs and if victorious, Nunes will further cement her legacy as a dominant champion with 8-0 in her title bouts.
