Kevin Vallejos confident of knocking out Aljamain Sterling if he relies on wrestling at UFC Qatar

Kevin Vallejos has sent a warning to his opponent Aljamain Sterling ahead of their showdown at UFC Qatar on November 21, 2026, at the ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar.

Vallejos is gearing up for Sterling’s wrestling prowess and has boldly claimed that once the former bantamweight champion gets tired, he will knock him out.

Kevin Vallejos vows to KO Aljamain Sterling once his gas tank runs dry

Vallejos reacted to Sterling’s teammate Merab Dvalishvili’s fight against Petr Yan at UFC 333, where the Russian defended his bantamweight title. He emphasized that ‘No Mercy’s’ performance had only increased his hunger to earn a title opportunity.

‘El Chino’ asserted that he expects Sterling to rely heavily on his wrestling during their fight. Rather than shying away from that challenge, the rising contender appears eager to test himself against the former champion’s grappling.

“Seeing Petr Yan fight like that just makes me even hungrier. Sterling, be ready to wrestle on November 21st, because I’m coming for my title shot,” Vallejos on X.

In another X post, Vallejos doubled down on his confidence. He challenged Sterling to wrestle him, believing that holding him down will make ‘Funk Master’ tired and create an opportunity for him to secure a knockout victory.

“Try to hold me down, and you will get tired. And when you get tired, I will knock you out,” Vallejos posted. 

The question now is whether Vallejos can keep the fight competitive against Sterling’s wrestling and create the opportunities he expects. That said, he is high on confidence, as he has knocked out four of his opponents in his last five fights. He will carry that momentum into UFC Qatar and try to KO the former champion.

Kevin Vallejos believes beating Aljamain Sterling will put him next in line for UFC gold

Vallejos is already looking beyond Sterling, believing a victory over the former bantamweight champion would make him the clear next contender for the featherweight title. The 24-year-old has his sights set on Alexander Volkanovski and believes defeating Sterling would strengthen his case for a championship opportunity.

“After WE beat Sterling, WE’ll be the only logical contender for Volk. He’s beaten the best of the past and present—but WE are the future. WE’re 24 years old, and to cement his legacy as the greatest featherweight of all time, he has to beat the future of 145. After Sterling, everyone will know that WE are the future,” Vallejos wrote. 

The winner of Vallejos vs. Sterling could become one of the contenders to challenge Volkanovski. That said, Jean Silva, who knocked out Jose Delgado at UFC Noche this past September, has a better chance and will likely get the title opportunity.