Aljamain Sterling nearly retired before featherweight debut vs. Calvin Kattar
In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Sterling explained why he considered retiring after losing the belt to O’Malley.
“Maybe I coach, maybe I just help the guys and help that way…I was just a champ, but it was a lot,” Sterling admitted. “From the mental aspect of being coerced into the fight. People would say ‘Shut the f*** up, you signed the contract!’. Before I signed the contract, there were multiple ‘No’s’. We had a couple of things in our favor, one, the launch of [Funkharbor Rum]…I was promised after the fight that whatever the results were, I could have my time just to unwind…
“That’s really what it was. It was all the stresses of getting injured, trying to battle back, I felt like I had no break as champ. I was constantly in a semi-fight camp. Which, is a lot, mentally. I don’t think people understand the mental strain that puts on you. I have a family, I have other things I need to take care of, so it’s not just fighting is my end-all-be-all…I have other things that are just as important or take some sort of president over training and fighting…that break made me come back a completely different person…I was like ‘If [the Calvin Kattar fight] doesn’t go well, that’s it’.”
Sterling’s decision to keep fighting paid off as he defeated Calvin Kattar in his featherweight debut at UFC 300. A win over Evloev could propel him into the featherweight title discussion.
Sterling’s climb up the featherweight ladder wouldn’t’ve happened if he decided to hang up the gloves. Ahead of his UFC 310 return, he’s looking to remind fans of his greatness.
