As UFC 307 draws closer, the tension between featherweight contender, former champion Aljamain Sterling and undefeated Movsar Evloev, has reached a fever pitch. The rivalry began when Sterling accused the Russian fighter of using performance-enhancing drugs, tweeting, “Nothing worse than cheaters in this sport! I’ve fought cheaters before and won because I believe in my skill set.” Evolev responded forcefully, but the verbal sparring has only escalated.

Recently, Sterling escalated the feud by calling Evloev a “mental midget that needs a needle to compete!” Evloev, not one to back down, fired back with a scathing reply, further fueling the heated exchange between the two fighters.

Movsar Evloev issues warning to Aljamain Sterling

To continue his feud with Aljamain Sterling, Movsar Evloev didn’t mince words. He responded with a typical Russian-style retort, stating, “Where I’m from, making false accusations like that won’t go well for you. But I’ll be a businessman—I’ll punish you and get paid for it. Just don’t pull out.” This upcoming fight marks Sterling’s second in the featherweight division, following his move from bantamweight after losing his bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley in a decisive knockout at UFC 292 nearly a year ago.

In contrast, Movsar Evloev is a newcomer compared to Sterling, who has spent over a decade in the UFC. Evloev currently holds an undefeated 18-0 record and has dominated nearly every featherweight contender he’s faced since his debut in 2019, with recent victories over Diego Lopes and Dan Ige serving as prime examples. With his sights set on the featherweight title, a win against Aljamain Sterling would bring Evloev one step closer to a title shot.

With his fight still some time away, Aljamain Sterling seems more concerned about his close friend Merab Dvalishvili, who is currently preparing for UFC 306, also known as “Riyadh Season Noche.” This event coincides with Mexican Independence Day, where Dvalishvili will face Sterling’s former rival, Sean O’Malley, for the title Sterling lost last year. When the Georgian fighter posted about his injury on social media, Dana White criticized him. In response, Sterling, like a good friend, defended his best friend.

Sterling Calls Dana White’s reaction “Over the top”

Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili were prime examples of UFC fighters who, despite having competed in the same weight class, have maintained a close friendship. Their bond was evident when Sterling decided to walk away from a fight against Dvalishvili, stating that he wouldn’t risk jeopardizing their friendship for financial gain. This decision played a major role in Sterling’s move to the featherweight division after losing his title to O’Malley.

Sterling is now standing up for Dvalishvili once again, this time against UFC CEO Dana White. During a sparring session, Dvalishvili sustained a significant cut above his eye and shared the news on social media. White criticized this move, calling it “stupid” and suggesting it could negatively impact pay-per-view sales for the event. Sterling, however, took to X to defend his friend, writing,  “Merab shares his stories of training camp… ppl LOVE him for it… nothing “stupid” about it, period. He’s training and will show up Sept 14, like he always does. Is this about betting lines?… Respectfully, this reaction was a bit over the top IMHO.”

What are your thoughts on the ongoing feud between Aljamain Sterling and Movsar Evloev? Do you believe their rivalry and verbal jabs are genuine, or are they just promoting their upcoming fight to build hype? Drop your comments below.