Aljamain Sterling has booked another grappling match.
Submission specialists Sterling and Chase Hooper will face off in a no-gi welterweight bout to headline ADXC 2 on Jan. 19 at Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi. A person with knowledge of the matchup confirmed the booking to MMA Junkie but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Sterling currently is slated to face Kevin Dantzler in the Fury Pro Grappling 8 headliner Dec. 30 at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. The event streams on UFC Fight Pass.
Sterling competed in a grappling match this past September and defeated ex-UFC fighter Mike Grundy by unanimous decision at Polaris 25 in Wales. “The Funkmaster” currently is gearing up for his featherweight debut – a decision he made official shortly after he lost the bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in August.
Hooper has grappled twice under the Fury Pro Grappling banner. He lost a decision to UFC lightweight Renato Moicano in December 2021, then submitted longtime UFC fighter Clay Guida with a calf slicer this past December at Fury Pro Grappling 6. The 24-year-old also has his first winning streak in the octagon after back-to-back wins over Nick Fiore and Jordan Leavitt.
