After his UFC 288 victory, Aljamain Sterling wanted some time to heal. So, his bout against Sean O’Malley didn’t suit his plans. Continue reading to find out what “The Funkmaster” has to say about going up against O’Malley so soon after his last fight against Henry Cejudo.
In the main event on August 19 at Boston’s TD Garden, Sterling defends his bantamweight championship against Sean O’Malley. After winning the championship in a five-round bout with Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 in May, “The Funkmaster” requested more time to heal, but he was persuaded to fight O’Malley three months later.
Sterling mentioned on his podcast that people fail to comprehend the extent of time he dedicated to the sport. He further expressed that, at times, one can experience a sense of exhaustion, which can significantly affect them mentally. Consequently, Sterling revealed that his primary intention was to decompress and temporarily divert his focus away from fighting. This was necessary because he invested substantial effort in his preparation and mental readiness for the battles he encountered.
He said that he had had that just kind of ripped from underneath his legs. He mentioned his determination to fight, even though it was literally against his will. He added that people could say whatever they wanted, and if Dana White or Hunter Campbell were to hear this, they would say that they were not making him do anything. However, he believed that they were and said, “Let’s call a spade a spade.”
The 33-year-old has battled neck and biceps ailments during his title reign and said he wouldn’t be 100 percent healthy for his fourth title defense against O’Malley. Sterling said that he still had injuries that he had been nursing to that day, and he stated that he would continue to express that. He mentioned that people might become angry at him for disclosing that he was unhealthy. He also pointed out that nobody enters a fight being 100 percent healthy, and he had just fought recently.
He wondered why Henry had withdrawn from a fight, speculating about the reasons behind it. Additionally, he commented that behind the scenes, UFC executives had their methods of persuading fighters to agree to certain arrangements, even though they might not receive any gratitude for doing so.
What are your thoughts on UFC’s treatment of “The Funkmaster? Let us know in the comments!
