Khabib Nurmagomedov, Henry Cejudo, and others react to Aljamain Sterling's hard-fought defeat to Movsar Evloev in UFC 310 grappling masterclass

Fellow MMA fighters reacted to Aljamain Sterling's competitive performance against Movsar Evloev. The pair competed on the UFC 310 preliminary card on Dec. 7, with Evloev emerging victorious by a razor-thin margin.

The high-level grappling contest saw both men succeed with takedowns and ground control. Sterling, with his explosive takedowns and backpacking style of grappling, gave Evloev a tough challenge.

However, the Russian fighter managed to reverse positions in the latter half of every round, adding a layer of unpredictability to the outcome. Ultimately, all three judges scored the contest 29-28 in Evloev's favor.

Notable MMA fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Henry Cejudo, among others, reacted to the high-level grappling contest and shared thoughts on social media.

Check out the reactions below:

MMA community's reactions to Evloev vs. Sterling

Despite being the smaller man, Sterling statistically secured more takedowns (6 of 8) in the fight. However, Evloev outstruck him 136 to 45 in total strikes that landed.

Evloev's victory was his ninth consecutive win inside the octagon, extending his professional MMA record to 18-0. Meanwhile, Sterling, the former bantamweight champion, suffered his first loss since moving up to featherweight.

During the octagon interview, Evloev gave his props to Sterling and shared his thoughts on his performance.

"It was not the best performance tonight but [Sterling is] a former champion and a big wrestling guy. So, similar technique for both of us... That's why it was like a jiu-jitsu match."

He added:

"[While preparing for this fight] I was working more on my striking because I always have my own base. So I can return to my wrestling any time even if I didn't prepare. But this guy shooting me all the time... So I just gave him back my wrestling."

Check out Movsar Evloev's comments below (0:55):

Evloev was the No.5-ranked featherweight contender heading into the UFC 310 contest. Among the fighters ranked above him, he already holds a win over No.3-ranked Diego Lopes.