The future looks bright for Kayla Harrison after her smashing UFC debut. The former Olympic judo gold medalist and PFL champ made an immediate impact. But her manager Ali Abdelaziz has a rather unconventional idea for her next fight. He wants Harrison to take on high-level men like former UFC bantamweight king, Aljamain Sterling.
A prospective inter-gender super-fight is being proposed by Abdelaziz. He revealed that since none of the women wanted to fight her, there were only men that could fight her. With this said he had Aljamain Sterling in mind for her next fight.
Merab (Dvalishvili) or Aljamain Sterling. Yeah. I think it’s a very competitive fight. It’s not fair. It’s not, honestly, because if none of these girls want to fight her, let’s fight somebody at 135.
Ali Abdelaziz via Submission Radio
To be fair, Abdelaziz argued the women’s divisions lack viable challengers for Harrison. She blitzed former champ, Holly Holm in utterly dominant fashion at UFC 300. This fight with Sterling would most likely not become a reality. Abdelaziz was probably speaking tongue-in-cheek to highlight the mettle of Harrison. He did acknowledge intergender bouts were not fair and couldn’t actually happen.
Ali Abdelaziz says Kayla Harrison’s next opponent should be Aljamain Sterling or Merab Dvalishvili and believes she can beat them:
“I think [Merab and Aljamain] is a very competitive fight [for Kayla]. It’s not fair, because if none of these girls want to fight her let’s fight… pic.twitter.com/VpNYMlaz86
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 10, 2024
For now, Kayla Harrison awaits her next challenge at bantamweight. The UFC would have to find a suitable match for her given her elite skills. Maybe in time, worthy challenges like Amanda Nunes, who is still retired may emerge. Only time will tell who Harrison takes on next in her quest to become champion.
Aljamain Sterling responds to Ali Abdelaziz’s bizarre suggestion
Bizarre callouts and matchmaking ideas are par for the course in the world of mixed martial arts. However, one recent suggestion has left former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling chuckling in disbelief. The idea seemed absolutely ridiculous to Sterling.
Aljamain Sterling responds to fighting Kayla Harrison (via MMA News)Ali Abdelaziz, the manager of newly joined UFC star, Kayla Harrison, recently pitched a rather unconventional matchup. His client, Harrison would be willing to take on Aljamain Sterling for her next fight. Sterling, known for his quick wit and humor, wasted no time responding to Abdelaziz’s outlandish proposition.
I’m not signing up for that!
Aljamain Sterling via X
While the idea of an inter-gender bout may seem outrageous, it’s not entirely unprecedented in combat sports. BJJ specialist, Craig Jones is set to have an inter-gender grappling match against Gabi Garcia. However, the UFC has a set of rules it follows and intergender fights are a big no-no. A Sterling-Harrison matchup is unlikely to materialize anytime soon (or ever, for that matter). The mere suggestion has provided a lighthearted moment in the often-intense world of mixed martial arts.Â
