Aljamain Sterling does not regret the way things went from start to finish.
UFC 259 took place on Saturday when now-champion Sterling (20-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) challenged then-title holder Petr Yan for the UFC bantamweight belt. Despite the unusual (and controversial, in the eyes of some) disqualification in Round 4 that earned him the title, Sterling has no problem with the way he behaved during or in the aftermath of the fight.
Adjustments can be made to the inside of the cage, especially with regard to his diet, Sterling told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. He admitted that he was a little unexpectedly tired as the fight went on, seemingly much more so than Yan. And while he respects the opinion of former 135-pound champion Henry Cejudo that he was out of step with himself, Sterling doesn’t think that was the problem.
“If (Cejudo) really saw my training, he would know and everyone would know, I can keep that pace even for five laps,” said Sterling. “It bothers me that I got tired so quickly halfway through the second. I don’t know what I blame it on, but I think there are a few things I did differently. My water load for one.
“The strength and conditioning was a little bit different. However, I don’t think it was. I had great output in my sparring sessions counting strikes and my wrestling takedown and spending on getting submissions, getting takedowns and even against the hard to beat guys that jiu-jitsu black belt guys from Dagestan who wrestle Dagestan and have good wrestling bases. (I was still) able to take them down, or they took me down and I could get up again. “
Diet was also a big deal for Sterling. It is tradition for him not to eat on fight day. However, his body handled it a little differently at UFC 259, in part, he believes, because there was so much time between his breakfast and the fight against Yan (15-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC).
“I think that could be the thing because I could feel my energy going in the back room and when we got on the bus I didn’t feel well,” said Sterling. ‘I felt weak. I felt tired and just felt like something was wrong. If I had such a performance on a compromised gas tank, I think the future looks bright. I just have to make a little adjustment. “
While Sterling understands the technical criticism of his performance in the cage, the feedback is not valid for him when it comes to criticism of the aftermath.
Photos and videos posted on social media by friends landed Sterling a conviction that he said he doesn’t understand. Toasting multiple corners of Sterling with friends and family and his post-fight championship belt rubbed some fans and media members the wrong way – and they let Sterling know.
“I haven’t posted a single photo of me celebrating as if I won something,” said Sterling. “I won by default. I don’t feel like a champion. I didn’t post anything for that specific reason. Normally I post something after every fight. I’m posting something in honor of what happened. I made a message that I was dating my fiancé. I didn’t have the belt because people put it on my shoulder and said, ‘You deserve this. No, you deserve it. Put it on. Put it on. ‘ I didn’t want that. They flew all the way here. They paid their money. They came to the house. They gave me support. If they want to do that, okay, I understand. I can’t tell them to put their phone away and not post anything if they want to post something. “
Some critics have also blamed him for the toast itself. Should someone who has sustained a serious head injury hours before drink alcohol? In reality, according to Sterling, it wasn’t.
“I didn’t drink,” said Sterling. ‘I had a sip of champagne. I had a toast and pretty much said, ‘I’m sorry I let everyone down. I know you are still proud of me and I will validate the belt when I get this second chance. Hopefully I will feel a lot better the next. I felt sad. I’m sorry and I know you know my workouts are much more intense than my fight and we’ll get the next one. Thanks guys for coming out. I took a sip, I didn’t drink the rest of the night. A few hours later I threw up. That’s my party to everyone who says I was there, ra-ra-ing. “
Looking back on the night he clinched his title, Sterling said he was comfortable with how it all turned out. That said, with the way it went, he doesn’t feel like the rightful champion. Until the rematch comes, he’ll keep that in mind and use it as the motivation for what he hopes will be a championship-validating feat the second time around.
“In terms of my mind and how it went, I don’t feel like the champion,” said Sterling. “That’s the motivation there, to show the world that I can keep up that pace for 25 minutes. … I’m always going to try to find a way when there is time on that clock. I think the fans would definitely (acknowledge) it or maybe they might, maybe not. Maybe they would appreciate that in terms of my tenacity and how I get to the octagon. I plan on getting out of the gate exactly the same way, so I hope he’s ready for that. He better be ready for that. “
Watch the video below to hear the full interview with Sterling.