Aljamain Sterling is one of the UFC's most respected bantamweights, and his Rogan sparring knockout story is unforgettable. Nicknamed Funk Master, Sterling told Joe Rogan about a 2017 session with Zabit Magomedsharipov, then an unknown featherweight prospect, saying he threw a 360 spinning ninja kick and the leg wrapped around my neck, I closed my eyes. Sterling, fresh off a loss to Raphael Assuncao, admitted he was set up for failure, getting ragdolled by side kicks, hook kicks, and a devastating, explosive tornado kick that left everything blurry in mixed martial arts. Known for relentless wrestling pressure and ferocious honesty, Sterling's story remains one of the sport's most entertaining sparring tales, still resurfacing in 2026. #ufc #mma #aljamainsterling #knockout
Aljamain Sterling has revisited one of the more memorable sparring stories in MMA, recalling how a spinning kick from Zabit Magomedsharipov knocked him out during a 2017 session. Sterling told the story to Joe Rogan, and it continues to resurface in 2026.
Sterling said Magomedsharipov, then an unknown featherweight prospect, threw a 360 spinning ninja kick during the session. In Sterling's telling, the leg wrapped around his neck and he closed his eyes. He was coming off a loss to Raphael Assuncao at the time and admitted he was set up for failure, absorbing side kicks, hook kicks and a devastating, explosive tornado kick that left everything blurry.
Sterling, nicknamed Funk Master, is 26-5 and currently ranked fourth at featherweight. The 37-year-old American trains with the Serra-Longo Fight Team and is known for relentless wrestling pressure. He lands 4.45 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy and averages 2.45 takedowns per 15 minutes. He stands five-foot-seven with a 71-inch reach.
Magomedsharipov, a 35-year-old Russian, holds an 18-1 record and fights out of Ricardo Almeida Jiu-Jitsu. Standing six-foot-one with a 73-inch reach, he lands 4.89 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy. He also averages 5.22 takedowns per 15 minutes and 0.8 submission attempts, a reminder that his game extends well beyond flashy kicks.
Why it matters
- The story shows how early Magomedsharipov's unorthodox striking was already troubling established UFC talent before he reached a wider audience.
- It reflects Sterling's reputation for candor, as he openly discusses a knockout that most fighters would prefer to forget.
- The anecdote lands at a time when Sterling is a top-five featherweight, giving his sparring history added context.
