Aljamain Sterling vs Augusto Mendes — Fight recap

Aljamain Sterling earned a unanimous decision over Augusto Mendes across three rounds on April 15, 2017, controlling the fight with superior striking volume and cage control. Sterling landed 83 significant strikes at 51% accuracy while Mendes managed only 30 at 32%, establishing a clear striking advantage throughout.

Sterling secured two takedowns, though at a modest 33% clip, and accumulated 6:00 of control time compared to Mendes's 3:13, dictating the pace from start to finish. Sterling's striking was particularly effective to the body, connecting on 46 of 55 attempts, and he landed 28 head strikes to establish dominance in the exchanges.

Mendes landed one knockdown but struggled to generate consistent offense, failing to convert any of his three takedown attempts and remaining largely reactive. The decision underscored Sterling's evolving grappling-striking blend and positioned him as a rising contender in the bantamweight division.