As the current slate of champions and superstars are competing on the biggest stages and showcases in MMA, another wave of fighters are battling their way up the proverbial ladder to break through. Labels like “prospect” or “next generation” are oftentimes attached to these surging talents and those descriptors certainly apply to Aljamain Sterling.
The 25-year-old Team Serra-Longo standout has garnered a fair amount of attention during his three years in the professional ranks as he’s worked behind an impressive and versatile skill set. A former wrestling standout at SUNY Cortland, “The Funk Master” found quick success in mixed martial arts as he stormed through the regional scene in the Tri-State area winning all eight of his showings on smaller stages.
That caliber of success earned Sterling a call from the UFC and the Long Island-based fighter’s trajectory has continued to ascend in his two fights under the Zuffa banner. His promotional debut resulted in a unanimous-decision victory over Cody Gibson in a fight taken on short notice at UFC 170 back in February, and he followed that performance up by stopping scrappy Brazilian Hugo Viana in the third round of their tilt five months later in Atlantic City.
Both of his victories inside the Octagon have helped to solidify the hype and buzz that surrounds the rising prospect. Sterling is looking to keep building that energy and momentum every time he steps into the cage and he feels right at home under the bright lights of the biggest stage in MMA.
“I feel like I was built for this,” Sterling told Bleacher Report. “I feel like my college career prepped me for this. You go out to nationals and it’s almost the same thing. I have a little mantra I say to myself—’I’m too strong, too tough, too quick and I can’t be broken.’ When I go out there I know this is my show, they are dimming the lights for me and it’s time to come alive in the nighttime.
“Everything is coming together slowly, but I definitely feel I’m ready for those top-level, high-level matches against these top 10 guys. But one fight at a time and I think I’m improving little by little. My confidence, man, is right there where it needs to be.”
Much like any rising talent in a highly competitive sport like MMA, Sterling relies heavily on his coaches and teammates to push him to higher levels. Under the tutelage of striking guru Ray Longo and former welterweight champion Matt Serra, the New York native’s skills have continued to progress. Another big aspect of Sterling’s growth is being surrounded by a strong cast of talent that includes undefeated middleweight champion Chris Weidman in addition to a collection of other top-level fighters.
Seeing his teammates rise to greater heights has provided Sterling with a unique form of motivation that keeps him striving to hit new levels in his own career.
“We have a lot of top-level fighters here and there is nothing but motivation to keep pushing and working to the top,” Sterling said. “You see someone from the same neighborhood or right around the same area you are from win a belt and that’s huge. It makes it become tangible and something that can be achieved. And I know that one day I’m going to get there.”
And while Sterling may be complimentary of the fighters and coaches who dedicate their time to helping him hone his craft, the men who guide his career and forge Sterling’s talent inside of the gym walls believe he possesses something special. Ray Longo knew Sterling had tremendous potential as soon as he started working with the fighter.
“Aljo’ is so talented,” Longo told Bleacher Report during a recent stop at LAW MMA—the gym he operates with Weidman in Long Island. “He has a great work ethic, a ton of natural skill, and he’s such a quick learner. He reminds me a lot of Weidman in the way he picks things up and applies them so quickly. He has a great head on his shoulders and I really think he’s going to go far in his career.”
Sterling’s status in the ranks of the UFC’s bantamweight division is certainly on the rise, and he has every intention of making a run at the 135-pound title in the years to come. While battling his way through the weight class won’t come easily, Sterling isn’t the type of fighter who is willing to take shortcuts or seek additional advantages through modern chemistry. In fact, the highly touted prospect is as outspoken as they come on the current landscape of MMA fighters and frequently uses social media to rail against his peers who use performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) get an edge.
Few things in the MMA realm get under his skin more than PED usage and Sterling has zero problems speaking his mind on the hot-button issue.
“If you use PEDs, I think you are mentally weak,” Sterling fired. “If you really feel like that is the only way you can compete, then something is wrong with you and you are in the wrong sport. I have nothing against it if you want to do it for your own personal feelings or benefits, but if you are going to do that, then you shouldn’t be competing in a combat sport. The sport is already dangerous enough and we pride ourselves by going out there.
“We face a lot of humility so for you to go out there against a guy who is training just as hard and get a mental and physical edge over somebody is unfair. I don’t like it and if you get popped, I’m calling you out. I don’t care. I’m calling you out.”
Even though Sterling’s had success in the early stages of his career, how he handles the road ahead will determine if he lives up to expectation inside the Octagon. Over the past two years, the roster of the bantamweight division has filled out with talented fighters, and the path up the divisional ladder will be one of resistance. Yet, Sterling isn’t an athlete who shies away from challenges or hard work, and he carries a genuine excitement to put his skills to the test.
That’s what makes him tick. That’s what brings him alive in the nighttime.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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