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Aljamain Sterling considered retirement if he lost at UFC Vegas 116 but instead won decisively against Youssef Zalal. He demonstrated strong striking and grappling skills, securing a unanimous decision victory.
Aljamain Sterling showed he still has plenty left in the tank on Saturday night. | Getty/UFC
Aljamain Sterling has no desire to hang around beyond his expiration date in mixed martial arts.
Thatās why the former bantamweight champion was willing to look at his career realistically had he fallen flat against Youssef Zalal in the UFC Vegas 116 headliner. Instead, āThe Funk Masterā was in peak form as he overwhelmed his foe with agressive striking on the feet and dominant grappling on the mat en route to a unanimous decision triumph.
āIām not going to lie to you, definitely thoughts of retirement and things like that crossed my mind. Depending on how I lost, if I were to lose, and just being realistic,ā Sterling said on the post-fight show.
āIf I canāt compete, I donāt want to do this anymore. Itās not that I donāt want to do it because thereās no future for it. Itās just if I canāt compete with these young guys, why are you sticking around just taking an ass whooping for no reason?ā
Zalal entered Saturdayās card with plenty of momentum. His eight-fight winning streak included five victories in the UFC, and āThe Moroccan Devilā had dispatched veterans Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett in his last two Octagon appearances. Sterling wouldāve been his most significant victory to date, but Zalal learned he still has some work to do to reach that level.
āIs it a passing of the torch type of fight?. I was just happy I was able to pass the test with flying colors,ā Sterling said. āIām not sticking around ā Iāve got enough money, could always use a little bit more though ā but itās just one of those things. This sport hurts. Aināt nobody looking to stick around and let these young bucks just beat you up.ā
Aljamain Sterling mentioned that thoughts of retirement crossed his mind if he had lost the fight against Youssef Zalal.
Sterling performed excellently, showcasing aggressive striking and dominant grappling to win by unanimous decision.
Aljamain Sterling fought Youssef Zalal in the main event of UFC Vegas 116.
Aljamain Sterling won the fight against Youssef Zalal by unanimous decision.
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Sterling is now 3-1 since moving up to 145 pounds. He likes the idea of a championship showdown with fellow veteran Alexander Volkanovski, but he also admits that Evloev is the most deserving featherweight contender at this point in time.
āI do think Movsar deserves it but if they offered me the opportunity, Iām not going to say no,ā Sterling said. āIām not going to say this guy deserves it. If they offer it to me, hell yeah, Iām fāing taking it.
āIām going to give it everything Iāve got until the wheels fall off. I think itās a fight (vs. Volkanovski) that everybody would love to see. Two OGās of the sport. Why not? It just makes a whole lot of sense.ā
Sterling dropped a unanimous decision to Evloev at UFC 310 in December 2024. It was a closely-contested bout, and some observers even thought Sterling might have deserved the nod. Not suprisingly, that includes āThe Funk Masterā himself.
"I just don't want to feel like I'm talking sāt to Movsar because I'm not," Sterling said at the post-fight press conference. "I respect the guy. People might say whatever. I just do truly feel like I won that fight. If not, it's a draw, at worst. At the end of the day, the UFC makes the decisions. I'm just here to do my part, collect some checks, drink some rum, smoke some fine cigars after the fine work is done. I'm just enjoying life, living the dream. I'm living the American dream, and that's what it's all about."