Aljamain Sterling Says His Decision Losses Helped Him Win at UFC on FOX 24

Aljamain Sterling spoke with MMAjunkie following his win at UFC on FOX 24. Some highlights are below:

On his recent split-decision losses providing motivation: “It did kind of did a service for me, if that makes sense. It was kind of annoying, but at the same time, it kind of did me a service. It made me open up and have a much better performance overall, form punching to kicking to grappling – from just pushing the pace and having a heart.”

On his style: “There are so many different ways that the art of this sport can go, and people don’t really understand the intricacies that go into this. I put my heart and soul into this every single training (session) and every single practice. That’s why it pains me so much. People may say, ‘Oh, he’s a whiner. He’s a complainer.’ No, man, I just want you guys to give me 100 percent like I’m trying to give you 100 percent. I’m in here busting my ass. For you to just come off the couch and just go and start judging a fight with no real experience, I just think that that’s kind of a slap in the face for what we do for a living.”

On the risks of leaving the result to the judges: “I realize judges don’t understand what the hell kicks are doing. So I threw a lot less kicks than what I’m really accustomed to, and I had to change my fight style to adapt to what the judges understand because of their lack of experience and lack of understanding of the sport, of what leg kicks and what body kicks do. People can say that’s disrespectful. I don’t give a (expletive). If you don’t know what the hell the martial arts are, why are you a judge? Now I’ve got to adapt my style because you’re not smart enough to comprehend what’s actually taking place in the octagon.”

On the impact of the win: “I felt like there was a lot riding on this fight. It felt great to get out there and finally get my hand raised again.”

On wanting to fight again in June: “I want to stay active. If they’ve got another guy for me to fight, then I’ll step up to the plate. I’m not getting any younger. The more I step in there, the more rounds I get, it’s only going to benefit me.”