Aljamain Sterling: 'At the end of the day, a closed mouth don't get fed'
Aljamain Sterling has no problem speaking his mind, so when he was sitting on the sidelines just waiting for the UFC to call and offer him a fight, the bantamweight contender took his grievances to Twitter where he could express his dismay rather publicly.
At one point, Sterling even admitted that without a fight on the horizon in the near future he might have to abandon his dreams of competing for a title and instead focus on going back to college.
Sterling's message must have been delivered because soon after his rant, the UFC called and offered him a fight against Johnny Eduardo at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Dec. 10.
Considering how things played out, Sterling's vocal objection to sitting on the sidelines paid off, and he'll speak his mind again if that's what it takes to get the job done. Actually, he wishes more fighters would follow his lead.
"I think a lot more fighters would get a lot more respect if they'd open their g****amn mouths and say stuff," Sterling told FOX Sports. "It's just really sad that these guys feel that they are so controlled that they can't say anything. I understand what happens being a business guy, a company man and saying certain things where you're not going to get any backlash but at the end of the day you've got to figure out how to be different. You've got to stand out some sort of way.
"We've got over 500 guys on the roster and week after week there are fights. No one's going to know who you are, no one's going to care, you're an expendable guy. Say something! Get people to actually want to watch you. That kind of stuff is frustrating because I feel like if guys spoke up a little more often a lot of things would go in better favor of the fighters. No one likes a complainer but at the end of the day a closed mouth don't get fed."
Sterling is a big believer in speaking his mind whether it's about his fight schedule, sponsorships or even his spot on the upcoming show where he's currently competing on the prelims rather than earning a spot on the main card.
The New York-based fighter probably has a legitimate beef considering he's ranked No. 5 in the world at 135-pounds and his opponent sits at No. 10. Meanwhile, only one other fight on the main card features two top 10 competitors and that's the main event between Rose Namajunas and Paige VanZant.
"I look at that card from top to bottom and we are the highest-ranked guys on the card and we're buried on the prelims, which is mind blowing to me," Sterling said. "I guess when it comes to a popularity contest, you put the guys you think are going to be front runners up front but I think people that actually understand the sport and want to see real technique and real competition where it's going to mean something to the division, this is the one that people are going to want to tune into."
Sterling has certainly been exciting enough to warrant a spot on the main card, with a blistering TKO finish two fights ago before submitting perennial contender Takeya Mizugaki in his last fight this past April.
Sterling knows Eduardo packs a serious punch -- especially considering his jaw-shattering knockout over Eddie Wineland last year -- but he's confident that once they step inside the Octagon together, it will be very clear who is the bantamweight contender the rest of the division needs to fear.
"For him to think he's just going to swing a punch and break my jaw, I highly doubt that. It will be a fun scrap. Some blood will be shed in this fight but it won't be mine. It will be his," Sterling said.
"That's the only way this guy wins the fight. I have to walk in there and be half asleep for him to actually land that shot. The art of fighting is to hit and not get hit and I think that's what my fight style is about. Once I get you to the ground, you're in my world and if I get a hold of a leg, somehow, someway, I'm getting you down on the mat and I'm going to end up on your back like a JanSport and I'm looking for the choke."
With a win, Sterling will likely find himself eyeing a possible No. 1 contender's fight in 2016, and his manager Malki Kawa predicts that's exactly what will happen. Kawa works with several top names in the industry, including arguably the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time, and even he believes Sterling draws similar comparisons.
"I've been screaming about this guy for how long now? He's an animal, he's the best, he's a mini-Jon Jones," Kawa said when speaking to FOX Sports. "He's got great striking, great wrestling, great submissions, he's got that swagger to him and a great personality.
"I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to see this kid fight again in December and don't be surprised if he is plugged into a championship fight or contending for a championship sometime in the middle of next year. The kid is phenomenal."
