Free from in-fight worries, UFC 238's Aljamain Sterling targets bantamweight title shot

CHICAGO – There was a time when Aljamain Sterling fought with a hidden element of worry in the back of his mind.

Whether it was defending his undefeated record or concerning himself with not being knocked out, the 29-year-old Uniondale, N.Y., native now realizes he fought the previous chapter of his fighting career with mental baggage.

But after experiencing both the loss of his unbeaten record (to Bryan Caraway) in 2016 and being on the receiving end of a savage KO (at the hands – and knee – of Marlon Moraes) a year later, “The Funkmaster” (17-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) told MMA Junkie he feels like he’s a better fighter for the experience.

“I had one of the worst losses you could possibly ever have in the UFC or in any type of combat sports,” he said during fight week in Chicago ahead of UFC 238.

“It’s kind of ironic. It’s infamous for me always going to the cage and doing the dab, and then I lose in that type of fashion. It’s kind of crazy.

Aljamain Sterling was stunned by Marlon Moraes at UFC Fight Night in Fresno in 2017 (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)

“But I feel like it doesn’t get any worse than that. You factor that in – that was my biggest fear coming into the sport to begin with. Now that’s out of the way, it’s kind of like I don’t have anything to worry about.

“I know I can take a shot, I know I’m tough, I know I’m fast, I know I’m strong, I’m athletically gifted, I think, and I work my (expletive) balls off. So at this point, I just go out there and have fun and whatever happens is going to happen. I just trust in my abilities, trust in my instincts, trust in my training.”

Freed of his in-fight worries, Sterling embarked on a winning run that saw him outpoint then-undefeated Welsh prospect Brett Johns, submit rising contender Cody Stamann with a Suloev Stretch, then outmaneuvered Jimmie Rivera to put him on the cusp of a title shot.

Standing between him and a potential shot at bantamweight gold is Brazilian Pedro Munhoz (18-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC), who Sterling has been mercilessly ribbing on social media over his previous failed drug test back in 2015 that saw him handed a backdated suspension for elevated testosterone levels.

Sterling adopted a pet name for the Brazilian, “PEDro,” and said that while he doesn’t necessarily believe Munhoz is cheating now, there is certainly a case to answer for his past indiscretion.

“I do view him as a previous cheater,” he said. “I’m not saying he’s cheating now. But I still believe there’s something that has to be said for his test results. I know when you go through a tough training camp, as men, having a woman and getting down, and getting down in training, your ‘T’ levels don’t go up. They go down, buddy.

“So, explain that to me. I’m no doctor, I’m no scientist. I’m just saying the commission said it – I’m not saying it. If you want to be mad at me, I guess be mad at the commission, too.”

While some fighters take trash talk and mind games seriously, Sterling’s approach is far more laid back. His is delivered more in the style of schoolyard banter, with a twinkle in his eye and a grin on his face. It’s not designed to be specifically hurtful, but it is designed to raise the stakes and make his upcoming contests even more competitive.

“I’m a ball buster, man,” he said. “People think I talk trash, (but) I like to have fun. I like a little gamesmanship, I like to make the fights and wrestling matches a little bit more competitive. If we’re playing video games, we’ll make it more competitive, raise the stakes a little bit. When you get into this sport, you start to see so all these guys who are afraid to talk, afraid to say stuff because they don’t want to eat their words.

“I’m not afraid of that, man. I like the challenge. Where I grow up you talk a little (expletive), we talk (expletive) back and if you don’t, you get punked, you get laughed at and out of the cafeteria and you’re the laughing stock for the rest of the week, probably the next month or two.

“That’s just my attitude, my demeanor. Growing up the way I grew up, the verbal lashings were brutal. There’s nothing anyone can really say to me to shake me or break my confidence.

“At the end of the day, we’re going to fight each other anyway. Why not raise the stakes a little bit, unless you’re scared?”

And while his pre-fight jibes at Munhoz are based on real-life occurrences earlier in the Brazilian’s career, Sterling says he still has a healthy respect for his opponent and harbors no grudges towards his fellow bantamweight contender.

“I have no ill will against Pedro… PEDro,” he grinned.

“Like I say, I like to break balls, have fun. This is a tough sport to be taking this (expletive) serious every single day – you can’t. It stresses you out, so have a little fun and have some way of enjoying the moment. This is how I do it and how I express myself.

“I know Pedro’s tough, I know he’s a good competitor, I know he’s a dangerous threat. At the end of the day, I still think I’m better. I think June 8 is just not going to be his night. #BadNightForPedro.”

The matchup is viewed by many as a de-facto number-one contender fight, with third-ranked Sterling taking on fourth-ranked Munhoz in a bout that could well determine the next challenger for the UFC bantamweight title. While he hasn’t been given any official confirmation by UFC officials, Sterling certainly sees it that way.

“This is a number-one contender’s fight,” he declared.

“I don’t care what Dana says, I don’t care what Sean Shelby says, I don’t care what Ari Emanuel says. This is the true number-one contender’s fight. Number three versus number four – it’s going down. May the best man win.

“They haven’t said anything to me yet, but I think the fans know it, the UFC brass knows it and I think the media knows it as well.”

To earn that spot, he’ll have to claim victory over Munhoz, whose last performance saw him stop former world champion Cody Garbrandt in a spectacular firefight at UFC 235 in March.

And Sterling said he will use Munhoz’s best attributes against him on fight night to claim the win.

Sterling and Munhoz face off ahead of UFC 238 (Pic: MMA Junkie)

“I think I touch him up a little bit, he gets frustrated, he rushes in – maybe he even decides to shoot,” he said.

“I think I will ‘Pedro Munhoz’ Pedro Munhoz. I really do think so.

“We’ve been working on our own guillotine chokes. I think people realize my grappling game is no joke as well, and it’s different, it’s unorthodox.

“I get you down, it’s not just grappling you worry about. There’s a lot of elbows and a lot of ground and pound coming your way and towards your face. I’m looking for that pretty little nose to slice that thing open.”

And despite the fact the man who knocked him out so spectacularly is fighting Henry Cejudo for the vacant title in Saturday night’s main event, Sterling says he has no issue, whoever wins the fight. He just wants next.

“May the best man win – I really have no horse in that race,” he said.

“I just want to face the best guy and be the best guy in the world.”

For more on UFC 238, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.