Prediction: Navajo Sterling via TKO
On paper and on tape, Sterling has the cleaner, more refined kickboxing toolkit. His striking is built around sharp fundamentals, measured pressure, and clean shot selection. He doesn’t rush his work—he breaks opponents down patiently, using feints, distance control, and accurate, snappy shots that don’t require him to waste energy. That’s critical when facing someone like Erslan, who brings chaos but not a lot of control.
Erslan is a powerful, athletic fighter with aggressive intent, but his style is wide open. He fights like he believes he can bulldoze anyone in front of him. There’s little regard for defense—his guard is practically non-existent when he’s throwing, and his head rarely moves off the centerline. Against someone who’s throwing wild hooks or looping overhands, that might be okay. But against someone as clean and technically sound as Sterling, that’s a disaster waiting to happen. Sterling will see the openings Erslan gives—chin high, hands low, loading up on power shots—and capitalize.
What makes this matchup dangerous for Erslan is that his pressure isn’t calculated. He comes forward aggressively but without the kind of layered defense or cage-cutting ability that could trap a disciplined striker. Sterling thrives in those situations—he’s not the type to get overwhelmed by brute force alone. He uses movement just enough to reset the angle, then punishes the overextensions with tight counters or chopping kicks. He’s comfortable standing in the pocket just long enough to land something clean and then reset without absorbing big damage.
As the fight goes on, the problems compound for Erslan. He swings big, he gets hit clean, and he doesn’t adjust. There’s no defensive reaction built into his offense—it’s all forward momentum and brute force. That kind of style burns gas, especially when the clean shots start adding up and there’s no mental foothold to shift gears. Sterling doesn’t need to push a high pace to do damage. His methodical pressure breaks opponents because it’s efficient and precise. Every shot has a purpose. Every movement is designed to control rhythm and tempo. He’ll snipe Erslan on the entries, pick at him with jabs, kicks to the legs and body, and clean one-twos as Erslan tries to explode forward.