Former UFC champion reveals "struggle" in fight with younger rival: 'I almost passed out'

aljamain sterling in victory against Youssef Zalal. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.

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After starring in one of best performances of his entire career last Saturday (25) during the main fight of UFC Vegas 116, it can be said that aljamain sterling He didn't leave the octagon with his hand raised without having to overcome adversity. In an interview on the 'Home of Fight' podcast last Wednesday (28), the former bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg) detailed that he was very close to being submitted by a chokehold from the Moroccan Demon.

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In the fight, which was mostly contested through grappling, the former champion found himself caught in a tight guillotine choke during the third round. Recalling the moment, Sterling said he came very close to being forced to tap out.

“It was tight. I mean, I could definitely feel my trachea — everything was kind of closing up. It was really hard to breathe. I was starting to wheeze a little, and I felt like it was starting to get a little dark. I just thought, man, I’m going to pass out because I’m just not going to hit. I just couldn’t give him the satisfaction of making me hit,” he stated.

😳 aljamain sterling says Zalal's guillotine was so deep that he would've tapped in training as he was close to getting blacked out:

"It was tight. I mean, I could definitely feel my trachea—everything was kind of closing off. It was really hard to breathe. I was starting to… pic.twitter.com/K564jvLnkF

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) April 28, 2026

According to the athlete, he himself had already been submitted by Zalal with the same move in training sessions in the past, when the prospect spent some time at Sterling's gym in New York. According to the former UFC champion, this was also one of the reasons why he was reluctant to tap out.

After putting up a fight, Sterling dominated his opponent at UFC Vegas 116.

aljamain sterling being attacked by Youssef Zalal with a guillotine. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC.

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The choke was applied while the former champion was going for a takedown from a double-leg takedown. The hold was so effective that it forced the fighter to relinquish the advantageous position and finish the third round on his back, securing Zalal's victory in the round on all judges' scorecards. Despite this, he regained control in the following rounds and managed to win by unanimous decision, breaking the Moroccan's streak of ten consecutive wins.