Aljamain Sterling has no regrets about how things went from start to finish.
UFC 259 took place on Saturday, when the now Sterling champion (20-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) challenged the then holder of Petr Yan for the UFC bantamweight belt. Despite the unusual (and controversial, in the eyes of some) disqualification in the 4th round that brought him the title, Sterling has no problem with the way he behaved during or after the fight.
Adjustments can be made inside the cage, especially in terms of its diet, Sterling said Tuesday MMA Junkie. He admitted that he got a little tired unexpectedly as the fight progressed, apparently much more than Yan. And while he respects the opinion of former £ 135 champion Henry Cejudo that he didn’t step in, Sterling doesn’t think that was the problem.
“If (Cejudo) actually saw my workout, he would know and everyone else would know, I can actually keep that pace for five rounds,” Sterling said. “It bothers me that I got tired so quickly in the middle of the second. I don’t know what I’m blaming, but I think there are some things I’ve done differently. My water load for one.
“Power and conditioning were a little different. However, I don’t think so. I had a great result in my fight sessions with the strike number, elimination and my fighting expenses for getting deposits, getting eliminations and even against guys who are hard to beat, who are black jiu-jitsu belts, guys from Dagestan who fight in Dagestan and have good fighting bases. (I was still) able to take them down, or knock me down, and I could get back up. ”
Diet was a major issue for Sterling as well. It is a tradition for him not to eat on the day of battle. However, his body handled a little differently at UFC 259, in part, he believes, because there was so much time between breakfast and the fight against Yan (15-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC).
“I think that could be because I felt my energy going to the back room and when we got on the bus, I didn’t feel well,” Sterling said. “I was weak. I felt tired and I just felt like something was wrong. If I had such a performance on a compromised gas tank, I think the future is bright. I just need to make a small adjustment. ”
Although Sterling understands the technical criticisms of his performance in the cage, when it comes to criticism of the consequences, for him, the feedback is not valid.
Photos and videos posted by friends on social media brought Sterling’s conviction, which he said he did not understand. Sterling’s fried angles with friends and family and his championship belt after the fight have troubled some fans and members of the media in a wrong way – and announced Sterling.
“I didn’t post any pictures of me celebrating as if I were winning anything,” Sterling said. “I won by default. I don’t feel like a champion. I did not post anything for this reason. Normally, after each fight, I post something. I’m posting something to celebrate what happened. I made a post where I’m out with my fiancée. Not me, wearing the belt, because people put it on my shoulder like, “You deserve it. You do not deserve. Put it on. Put it on. ‘ I did not want this. They flew this far. They paid their money. They came to the house. They supported me. If they want to do that, OK, I understand. I can’t tell them to put down their phones and not post anything if they want to post. ”
Some critics have also accused him of the toast itself. Someone who suffered a severe head injury a few hours before drinking alcohol? In reality, it was not so, according to Sterling.
“I didn’t drink,” Sterling said. “I drank a sip of champagne. I had a toast and said quite a bit: “I’m sorry I disappointed everyone. I know you are still proud of me and I will validate my belt when I receive this rematch. Hopefully next time I feel much better. I felt stopped. I’m sorry and I know you know that my workouts are much more intense than my fight and we will get the next one. Just thank you guys for coming out. I took a sip, didn’t drink the rest of the night. A few hours later, I threw up. This is my feast for all who say I’ve been there, ra-ra-ing. ”
When he thinks of the night that included his title performance, Sterling said he is comfortable with the way everything unfolded. That being said, with the way things have fallen apart, he doesn’t feel like a champion of law. Until the rematch, he will take this into account and use it as motivation for what he hopes will be a championship validation performance a second time.
“As for my mind and how things went, I don’t feel like a champion,” Sterling said. “This is the motivation right there, to show the world that I can keep up that pace for 25 minutes. … I will always try to find a way when there is time on that clock. I think fans would definitely (admit it) or maybe they do, maybe they don’t. Maybe he would appreciate that in terms of my tenacity and how I get to the octagon. I’m going to get out of the gate in exactly the same way, so I hope he’s ready for that. He’d better be prepared for that. ”
To listen to the full interview with Sterling, check out the video below.