High Rollerz 18 took place over the weekend and featured an unannounced superfight. Current UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling made a surprise appearance at the event, where he defeated black belt competitor Damien Nitkin by decision.
Watch video of that match below.
More than just an MMA fighter, Sterling is an experienced wrestler and a black belt in jiu-jitsu under Matt Serra. In his match against Nitkin, Sterling showed off his guard passing and top control, even securing the mount position at one point in the six-minute regulation period.
The one-minute overtime period was relatively uneventful; Sterling’s guard pass and work from top position earned him the decision win.
Sterling captured the UFC bantamweight title in March 2021 when he defeated Petr Yan by way of disqualification after Yan threw an illegal knee. Sterling successfully defended that belt in a rematch against Yan in April 2022.
An active black belt competitor, Damien Nitkin is the head instructor and co-owner of Atlas Grappling in Las Vegas, NV.
High Rollerz is a 420-friendly grappling promotion that combines cannabis and high-level jiu-jitsu, with match winners frequently walking away with bongs or ounces of marijuana as prizes.
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