Ex-UFC titleholder Mulls Over Retirement Following Difficult Defeat at UFC 310
Ex-UFC titleholder Mulls Over Retirement Following Difficult Defeat at UFC 310
Aljamain Sterling, the previous UFC men's bantamweight champion, is at a juncture in his professional journey. After his tight defeat to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310, Sterling is uncertain about his future in the sport.
At 35 years old and ranked No. 9 in the 145-pound category, Sterling finds himself below eight competitors in a promotion that has not always recognized his excellence, even when he reigned as champion at the 135-pound weight class.
In a remarkably honest video posted on his YouTube channel, Sterling revealed his emotions in the back room following the fight. He confessed, "I told the guys, I was like, 'I'm going to let you guys know I don't really know what I'm going to do from here.' I need to take some time to think, but at 35, I'm not sure if I really want to climb the ladder again."
Sterling put forth an impressive performance during the match. He held his ground and had numerous moments where he felt he could have earned the third round. He even expressed his desire to face Evloev once more, but the prospect of starting over is a source of concern for him.
"Do I carry on, or do I help out the guys and prepare them for their fights and maybe just take some casual bouts?" Sterling pondered. "I don't know. I don't want to retire, but I need to assess what the UFC has in store for me and then make a decision based on that to figure out where my standing is. It's challenging to even discuss this because I'm only 35. People might think I still look great, but my body is aching. I can't train as intensely as I used to. I used to attend two or three sessions daily. I can't do that anymore. Even the grappling sessions I used to do to make it down to 135 pounds, I can't do that anymore. I can't train like I used to, and I'm not sure if that gave me an edge or just wore me down more. I just need to see how things turn out and make a decision from there."
While retirement seems to be lingering in the back or middle of Sterling's thoughts, he does not appear to be ready to hang up his gloves altogether. Despite being 35, he remains a top-ranked fighter in the UFC.
Sterling's grappling skills have long been recognized, but he demonstrated significantly improved striking against Evloev. Most would agree that Sterling had the upper hand in the grappling exchanges, and aside from the second round when he found himself in Evloev's crucifix, he dominated the Russian in the grappling department.
It was a hard-fought defeat, and therefore, it would be equally challenging to walk away after this last bout in the Octagon. Expect Sterling to receive an offer to face opponents like Lerone Murphy or Yair Rodriguez once Rodriguez is fit to return to action.
Sterling may need to experience a string of losses before he definitively calls it a day.
Aljamain Sterling's loss at UFC 310 to Movsar Evloev resulted in uncertainty about his future in the sport, as reflected in the UFC 310 results. Despite the tight defeat, Sterling expressed interest in a rematch with Evloev, but the thought of starting over is concerning for him, as mentioned in his YouTube video.