Aljamain Sterling isn`t the only fighter in his family; his brother Kelvin Sterling is also making a comeback to MMA.
Kelvin Sterling, 35, is scheduled for his third professional MMA fight against Rodrigo Brauna, who is making his pro debut. The fight will take place at LFA 204 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut. The event will be streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
Sterling`s professional debut followed an amateur career of 11 fights, where he achieved a 7-4 record. His debut bout ended in a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke in May 2022. His most recent fight was a decision loss to Keron Reed in CFFC three months later.
When asked about his return, Kelvin Sterling explained, “Time is always passing. I feel like I`ve always been ready. I even took my first amateur fight after only training for about three months. I`ve never been one to avoid a fight.”
Sterling vividly remembers his previous loss, which occurred after a difficult weight cut to bantamweight, the same division where his brother Aljamain became a UFC champion. He realized the weight cut was too extreme for him.
Kelvin recounted the distressing experience before his sole professional loss: “I vomited a lot of blood and told my teammate, Phumi Nkuta. He advised me to call off the fight, but I refused. I ended up fighting that night, feeling completely out of it.”
“I didn`t even think about rehydrating after throwing up so much. I just went out there to fight, but it didn’t go well.”
Aljamain sees this past experience as a learning opportunity, emphasizing the importance of elements outside the cage. “It`s just inexperience,” Aljamain said about Kelvin. “He didn`t wrestle like my other brother and me, so learning to cut weight properly was new. He was in the wrong weight class.”
Aljamain continued, “Learning how to cut weight correctly, how to rehydrate properly – these are crucial. He`s even started eating pasta, which is funny. These small things can make a big difference. When a fighter isn`t performing in the cage like they do in training, there`s a disconnect. I think he`s figured it out now. I’m excited to see how he performs at this weight, feeling healthier and more like himself.”
After a long break and resolving his weight cut issues, Sterling is eager to demonstrate that the hype from the Serra-Longo camp is justified, with Aljamain supporting him ringside.
Kelvin predicts, “The headline will be ‘Kelvin makes weight easily and gets the win.’ Hopefully, I can get my first finish, but I`ll focus on being smart and taking care of business.”
Aljamain added, “Domination is the theme for this weekend.”
Kelvin agreed, “Yes sir.”
