UFC Number 4 bantamweight contender, Aljamain Sterling discusses why Bryan Caraway is a tougher out than fans and pundits give him credit for.
SPORT DADDY NEWS UFC
In just a few short hours, the Fight Pass prelims for UFC Fight Night 88 will kick off and with it, a tremendous card with a plethora of great fights. The lighter weight classes have really started filling out, especially at bantamweight, and the depth of the division, while not quite as dense as lightweight, still boasts some really talented athletes looking to make their mark on the sport.
Among this group of fighters is Long Island native and Number 4 contender, Aljamain Sterling. Sterling has been showcasing his badassery in the Octagon for a little over two years, winning all four of his fights, all by finish. As a matter of fact, Aljamain has won all of his 13 professional fights, and only four of them has gone the distance. His improvement is visible in every fight, and his dynamic style, both in and out of the cage, has gained him a very loyal fanbase.
Aljamain will meet his nemesis, Bryan Caraway, on the Fight Pass portion of the card. Their battle will be the featured bout. Now you may be saying to yourself, ‘Self, why are the Number 4 and Number 8 guys not headlining this card?’ That’s a great question, and it’s one that “The Funkmaster” believes he knows the answer to.
In a recent interview with the Three Amigos Podcast, Sterling discussed his thoughts on Fight Pass and why he feels that Caraway will be a tougher fight than some fans and pundits are giving him credit for. Here’s what he had to say:
“The one thing I can definitely appreciate [about Caraway] is his grappling abilities. The other thing would be his toughness, in terms of being able to take a shot and either still come forward or still stay in the fight and hang in there, so I give him credit and props on those things.
I actually think we’re mirror images of each other, but I just think I do everything a little bit better, in my opinion. I know this is a tough fight against a guy who has never been finished, not just in the UFC. I don’t think he’s ever been finished in any of his pro fights.
This is definitely a tough fight. He’s been in there with the best of the best and has beaten a former WEC champion in Eddie Wineland. He was toe to toe with Raphael Assuncao. Most of his fights he’s won have been finishes, so I know I have a tough task ahead of me. I just think I’m a little bit craftier in the grappling department and I think my wrestling is a little better than his. It’s going to be a battle of wills and I think I just want it more than he does.”
Fight Pass has been making great strides to beef up their content and improve their services. They’ve picked up several regional promotions and have lots of live fight cards, as well as an excellent library of combat action. It’s no surprise that they’d want to start featuring more and more important fights, having “featured bouts” that serve as mini headliners. It’s a smart move, providing big fights on this portion of the card, and after some reflection, Sterling has recognized that.
“I feel great about it [being on the Fight Pass prelims]. After they broke down everything to me, the plan and the things that they want to do with the platform, it just made sense. When you assess the key demographic target that they’re trying to appeal to, you can see that better platform to tailor to their needs is Fight Pass. I’m excited to be a part of it.
The one thing I’d like to see, and I spoke to Eric Winter [Senior VP & GM of Fight Pass] about this, if there’s a way that they can incorporate bar owners being able to display the Fight Pass prelims at the bars and restaurants. That would be a huge thing. Now that MMA has become legalized in NY, I can get a fight right before the big NY card, and get people familiarized with my face, especially being the hometown kid, and I’d be able to maybe pick up a few outside sponsors from around the way. That was my whole thinking behind that. And you know what? If I’m going to get the same media attention being the featured bout on the prelims as I would if I were on the main card portion, it works out as a win-win for me. Either way, people all over the world are going to be able to watch me, so I’m very excited about it.”
There were several topics discussed in this excellent interview that included:
· Caraway’s lack of PR efforts for this fight
· If he feels that having Meisha corner Caraway is detrimental
· Dominick Cruz discussion
· How he sees Cruz’ fight with Faber going
· Floyd Mayweather discussion
· Plans to get on the MSG card
· What his mood is like during Fight Week and if he needs to get himself fired up emotionally to do his best work
· His predictions for his own fight and the main event [Garbrandt/Almeida]
You can check out the entire interview with Aljamain here at the 57:50 mark of the audio, or via the embedded player below. Remember, if you're looking for us on SoundCloud or iTunes, we're under the MMA Nation name. Follow our Twitter accounts: Stephie Haynes, Three Amigos Podcast, Geroge Lockhart, Iain Kiddand Mookie Alexander or our Facebook fan page, Three Amigos Podcast
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