Kevin Vallejos Trains with Charles Oliveira Ahead of Aljamain Sterling Fight
Kevin Vallejos has recently been training with Charles Oliveira ahead of his clash with Aljamain Sterling.
“El Chino” is set to face the former bantamweight champion in the co-main event of UFC Qatar on Nov. 21. The No. 9-ranked featherweight is 18-1 and on a seven-fight win streak, with the latest being a first-round TKO against Josh Emmett in March. Now, the Argentine believes that if he gets his hands raised over Sterling, it could put him next in line for Alexander Volkanovski’s belt.
Kevin Vallejos Shares Training Photos With Charles Oliveira
A few hours ago, Kevin Vallejos shared two pictures on X of him and Charles Oliveira training together, captioning them as "WE ARE GOING TO WAR" and “Charles said WE are ready for UFC Qatar.
These posts came a week after he first teased the training, writing, "To beat a legend, you must learn from a legend.”
Check out Kevin Vallejos' post below:
However, his choice of training partner is not random, as Oliveira is a former lightweight champion, a fourth-degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, and the man with the most submission wins in UFC history. On top of that, “Do Bronx” is in camp himself, as he prepares to defend his BMF title against Diego Lopes at UFC 335 on Dec. 12.
Thus, training with someone like Oliveira can help Vallejos get used to the kind of pressure an elite grappler brings. Especially when he is about to face one of the best wrestlers at 145 pounds.
Kevin Vallejos Plans to Keep Aljamain Sterling’s Fight Standing
Meanwhile, "Funk Master” is known for taking his opponents down, climbing onto their backs, and hunting for chokes. The 37-year-old believes that his wrestling will be a game changer at UFC Qatar and make the fight one-sided. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said:
“I believe the ground game will clearly be the deciding factor in this match.”
Vallejos does not intend to fall into Aljamain Sterling’s trap. He instead wants to keep the fight standing, letting his hands do the work. He wrote on X:
"We are going to strike, buddy. WE don’t care that you shoot 100 times, DO IT!”
In another post, he added that people will be surprised to see that he will “NEVER be held down.” That game plan makes sense for him, as 13 of his 18 wins have come by knockout.
If Vallejos' training with “Do Bronx” helps him stuff the takedowns and avoid getting stuck on the mat, his power could cause serious problems for the former champion.
