Aljamain Sterling Enters the Featherweight Title Picture With a Win on Saturday

Alright, here with the Funk master Al Jermaine Sterling getting back into the octagon Saturday night.

Recently saw you compete in RAF though.

We were backstage when that brawl, uh, between Arman and Giorgio broke up.

What was that whole RA experience like putting the singlet back on, getting back to your roots?

It was um nostalgic, just getting back to uh what I used to do before I was doing this and um it was exciting to just be a part of such a great event and the production everything was really high level.

I was like, man, I feel like I'm at a UFC event right now.

So it was pretty cool overall, great experience.

Put on the wrestling shoes, to single it.

Felt like a kid again.

You were around Arman all weekend.

Obviously he's one of the more popular fighters in the UFC right now, even though he hasn't fought in a while.

What was it like being around Arman all weekend?

I mean, I don't know how much time you got to spend with him, but just being in his presence.

He's OK.

Um, when I talk to him, he seems like a normal dude, but then I see that he does some crazy shit and I'm just like, I don't get it.

I really don't get it, um.

But he was all right.

I mean, solid.

I can't, there's nothing bad I can say about him being around him, but the antics and stuff, it could be a little off-putting for what I understand, um.

Well, he's probably still delayed on his title shot opportunity, but I'm hoping he gets the, the shot because he deserves it.

Well, that was my next question.

Is he the most deserving guy at 155 right now?

I would say so.

Um, so after Gichi, uh, Gici's OG, a legend, so they're, they're making the right fight right now.

Um, after this, then I think Armand should hopefully get the, the nod.

Your, uh, your boy Marab was supposed to compete this past week and obviously Henry had to pull out.

We've talked before, you know, joking and what it's like being around Marab and you, you joked last time we talked that it can be tiring sometimes and sometimes you need a break from Rob.

Can you just expand upon that a little bit?

No, it's just like sometimes Marab just has too much energy when uh.

You kind of just wanna chill and he wants to just keep going and I'm like, bro, I'm gonna have to sit this one out, but um, he's just a great energetic dude to be around and, uh, always positive and I, I can never say anything bad about him.

Do you think training with a guy like Rob, his legendary training techniques, do you think that gives you an edge when you step into the octagon?

Yeah, I've always said what was this back in like 2015, 2016.

And I would tell guys when I would do my post-fight interviews I go.

If you wanna have good cardio , get yourself a a Rob, and I was talking about this and singing his praises way back then, and it's just nice to see him finally get his flowers and everything and all the stuff that he's been able to accomplish as well and hopefully he gets to get that belt back.

I think he will.

When we talked in Tempe, we talked, we hit on weight cutting a little bit, and you're pretty outspoken about how you think weight cutting is bad for the sport and how some changes need to be made.

You know, going through that, those extreme weight cuts on Friday and then getting in the octagon on Saturday, can you talk to me about what you think about weight cutting and what the UFC or these commissions can do?

I think weight cutting is absolute nonsense.

I mean, think about it and from a, from a standpoint of.

Shrinking your body all the way down and then saying hey we're gonna give you a few more hours to rehydrate so that it's healthier, safer, well, if you wanna do a healthier, safer, how about not.

How about not having that extreme dehydration to begin with?

Now if you did the same day weigh-ins.

This is my philosophy and my theory because it's worked for wrestling, it works for BJJ matches.

Now, the reason why I think it will work is because we're dealing with punches.

We're not just talking about grappling where if you get past the first match you get all the rest of the day to rehydrate because sometimes you have a bad match if you still cut too much weight, right?

And you compete one or two hours later.

Now with fighting, if you were to win.

In two hours before your fight you have enough time to warm up, you have enough time to get a small little mini snacking, and that's it.

This way it prevents anyone from going to a sauna, dehydrating themselves 2030, 40 pounds and then trying to compete.

You're just not gonna do it because one, you physically can't, and I think that's gonna be the deterrent when people are gonna start to go, OK, I have to go up.

One or two weight classes and I think that's the difference maker and I think they should try experimenting with that on um I mean they see it with amateurs amateur guys do it and they're not, no one's complaining about that so what is the actual difference?

I don't know maybe they should really look into this um I think there's something to be said from a guy who's cut weight from a.

Amateur wrestling level BJJ I've done all the, the whole nine now fighting the, the night before weigh-ins when we do it at 4 or 5 p.m. now it's at 9 a.m. Uh, I'm not mad at it, but I just think it just kind of takes away from the skill and the technique is more about the art of cutting weight and the art of who could put it on back more efficiently so that they feel like they did in training camp.

You're up at 145 right now.

Your weight cuts are a little less extreme, I'm sure, but still it's a tough process to go through.

We talked recently about um how you have some powers and the more power in those hands at 145.

Uh, can we expect to see that power against Yusuf's on Saturday?

Well, if the opportunity presents itself, I plan to use it for sure.

Um, I'm gonna have to hunt him down.

I'm curious to know what his game plan is gonna be, if he's gonna be looking to take me down right away or if he's gonna be looking to strike and move, and, uh, either way I got my game plan to adapt, and I would like to show off my, my newfound power a bit more.

Um, I think I got to showed a little bit in the Ortega fight until I do that spinning attack that shut my arm down for the, the last two rounds, so.

Hoping that doesn't happen again this time.

Hopefully if I do throw that it lands, it lands with the actual elbow, but, uh , I think people are expecting us to grapple, and I'm expecting Yusuf to grapple.

I'm expecting a little bit of chasing and a little bit of grappling.

You've trained with him before, are you, and you said he got one over on you, and you, you do still owe him a payback for the grappling session?

No, I got my payback.

It's just I had to remind him like, hey, I told you that's, that's a one time thing.

It's not gonna happen again.

And then we train again and when I say payback is more about me like.

Winning the position, winning the round, but it's also like it's training, you know, so I don't put too much thought into that, but I'm pretty sure that when he submitted me he probably realized like, OK, little brother is getting big now, and I'm like, dude, this is vacation mode Al Joe's very, very different.

Yeah, let's talk about fun car.

Rum, been in the distillery business now for a little while .

How has that process been?

Has it been more successful?

What are the pros and cons since you've gotten in the business?

Uh, we've been growing steadily.

Uh, it's definitely a lot of work.

So for anyone who wants to open up a liquor brand, it's, it's a lot of work.

So you , you make sure you got your work cut out for you.

Um, with that said, we've, we've been doing pretty good, um.

It's, it's challenging.

That's, that's the most I can say about it and it's been growing though and we're growing here mostly in Vegas because I'm mostly here so I could get to go out and promote it and everything.

I put a lot of my own, I put all of my own money into it, I should say, uh, there's no one else who actually put a.

A dollar into building the brand and everything, so, uh, right now it's just me and I got a small team around me that's helping me out a bit and, uh, hopefully good things to come.

All right, last one for me, um, talking about spirits.

I want you, you're equated with rum because of your Jamaican roots, you're laid back, life of the party sometimes.

I want you to equate former opponents with a specific cocktail or a spirit.

So first is Sean O'Malley.

Mm.

She seems like a tequila guy.

He's like a margarita.

Um, Peter Jan, Peter Jan, I would say he's like a screwdriver of vodka for sure.

Henry Cejudo.

Uh, he looks like a beer guy.

Corey Sandhagen.

Um, shit, Corey Sandhagen, what would he be?

Uh, I would say probably vodka.

Last one, TJ Dillashaw.

TJ, I'll say he's more like a probably similar to me, like an old fashioned kind of guy.

Thanks, Aljo.

Appreciate it, man.