Kelvin Sterling, the brother of renowned MMA fighter Aljamain Sterling, is stepping back into the world of mixed martial arts this Saturday.
At 35 years old, Sterling is preparing for his third professional MMA fight. He will be facing Rodrigo Brauna, who is making his professional debut, at LFA 204. The event will take place at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut and will be available to stream on UFC Fight Pass.
Sterling turned pro after competing in 11 amateur fights, where he achieved a record of 7 wins and 4 losses. His last fight in May 2022 ended in a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke. Following this, he faced Keron Reed in a CFFC match three months later, losing by decision. This was his most recent fight before his current return.
When asked about his reasons for returning now, Kelvin Sterling stated, “Time is always moving forward. I feel like I`ve always been ready. I 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, particularly the extremely difficult weight cut to bantamweight, the same weight class where his brother Aljamain became a UFC champion. He admitted that the weight cut had become too strenuous.
Kelvin realized the severity of the weight cut issue too late, recalling the distressing moments before his only professional defeat.
“I vomited a lot of blood and contacted my teammate, Phumi Nkuta, telling him about it,” Sterling recounted. “He was very concerned and when it continued, he urged me to withdraw from the fight. However, I declined and proceeded to fight that night, feeling completely disoriented.”
“I didn`t even think about rehydrating properly after losing so much fluid. I just went out there to fight, but it didn`t go well.”
Aljamain supported Kelvin, viewing it as a valuable lesson in the fight game, highlighting the importance of aspects outside the ring.
“I believe it was mainly due to inexperience,” Aljamain explained about Kelvin`s past challenges. “Unlike my other brother and me, he didn’t have a wrestling background. Learning to manage weight correctly, especially cutting weight, was a key issue. He was likely in the wrong weight class.”
“Learning the proper methods for weight cutting and rehydration are crucial. It`s funny, he`s only recently started eating pasta. These seemingly small things can significantly impact a fighter`s performance. When the fighter in the cage isn`t the same as in training, there`s a disconnect. I think he`s now figured things out. I`m excited to see how he performs at this weight class, without such a drastic weight cut, feeling more like himself. I’m eager to see his performance.”
After a considerable break and having resolved his weight cut issues, Sterling is eager to prove the hype surrounding him from the Serra-Longo camp is justified, with Aljamain present to witness his return.
“The headline will probably be ‘Kelvin makes weight easily and wins,’” Kelvin predicted. “I’m hoping for my first finish, but I should be realistic, stay safe, and just handle business.”
“Domination is the goal for this weekend,” Aljamain added.
“Yes sir,” Kelvin agreed.
Wesley Dunham