Aljamain Sterling admits he contemplated retirement after loss to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling’s title reign ended against Sean O’Malley and nearly brought his career to a screeching halt.

Sterling will face undefeated featherweight contender Movsar Evloev at UFC 310 next month. He returns to the Octagon looking to secure a potential featherweight title shot with a victory over Evloev.

Sterling’s move to 145lbs came after losing the bantamweight title to O’Malley at UFC 292. He lost by second-round knockout to bring his all-time great reign to an anticlimactic end.

Sterling was searching for answers after losing the bantamweight title. As he admitted in a recent media appearance, it nearly led to the end of his combat sports career altogether.

Aljamain Sterling nearly retired before featherweight debut vs. Calvin Kattar

In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Sterling explained why he considered retiring after losing the belt to O’Malley.

“Maybe I coach, maybe I just help the guys and help that way…I was just a champ, but it was a lot,” Sterling admitted. “From the mental aspect of being coerced into the fight. People would say ‘Shut the f*** up, you signed the contract!’. Before I signed the contract, there were multiple ‘No’s’. We had a couple of things in our favor, one, the launch of [Funkharbor Rum]…I was promised after the fight that whatever the results were, I could have my time just to unwind…

“That’s really what it was. It was all the stresses of getting injured, trying to battle back, I felt like I had no break as champ. I was constantly in a semi-fight camp. Which, is a lot, mentally. I don’t think people understand the mental strain that puts on you. I have a family, I have other things I need to take care of, so it’s not just fighting is my end-all-be-all…I have other things that are just as important or take some sort of president over training and fighting…that break made me come back a completely different person…I was like ‘If [the Calvin Kattar fight] doesn’t go well, that’s it’.”

Sterling’s decision to keep fighting paid off as he defeated Calvin Kattar in his featherweight debut at UFC 300. A win over Evloev could propel him into the featherweight title discussion.

Sterling’s climb up the featherweight ladder wouldn’t’ve happened if he decided to hang up the gloves. Ahead of his UFC 310 return, he’s looking to remind fans of his greatness.