Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling said the UFC gave him a one-hour deadline to accept a fight for UFC Qatar.
Sterling will fight top prospect Kevin Vallejos in a highly anticipated fight on the UFC Qatar card, which was officially announced on Tuesday. The event takes place on November 21 at Ali Bin Hamad al-Attiyah Arena in Al Rayyan, Qatar.
But according to Sterling, the fight was in peril because the UFC gave him a one-hour deadline to say yes, or else they were ready to move on.
Aljamain Sterling Speaks on UFC Qatar Bout
Speaking on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Sterling revealed that the UFC only gave him one hour to accept the fight against Vallejos.
“I was told I had an hour to give an answer, and I had just gotten off the mats. I didn’t even get a chance to talk to my team. I guess the negotiations were already in the works, and the opportunity would have gone to someone else. These things move quickly. It was a situation where they had to make an announcement for the card, and it just happened that I was training at that time. Luckily, it worked out because I did want to fight one more time before this year was up. A lot of people think I just want to sit on the sidelines. It’s not even that. There are just no matchups,” Sterling said (via MMA Mania).
“These things move quick… It was a situation where they had to make an announcement for the card, and it just happened I was training at that time. Luckily, it
Aljamain Sterling Turned Down Aaron Pico Fight
According to Sterling, the UFC also offered him the chance to fight Aaron Pico at UFC 33 after Arnold Allen pulled out of that fight. But he felt that Vallejos, who is 4-0 in the UFC, does more for his career than the 1-1 Pico, so he took the Vallejos fight instead.
“I was offered the Pico fight, but what the (expletive) does that fight do for me? The guy’s 1-1. Vallejos makes way more sense. Some people will say I ducked or dodged Pico because they think he’s the better wrestler. I think I’m the best wrestler in the division and probably one of the best — if not the best — in UFC. So, if you think I’m ducking Pico, no. Why am I rewarding him? I’d much rather give the reward to the guy who’s been here longer and beaten better guys,” Sterling said.
Should Sterling defeat Vallejos, he will improve to 4-1 as a featherweight, and he hopes that will be enough to earn him a UFC featherweight title shot against the winner of the UFC 333 main event between UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and challenger Movsar Evloev.
“The main goal for me, and I expressed this to Hunter (Campbell), was fighting for gold again, fighting for a legacy and trying to do something that’s been so hard for many people to do. And if people can’t respect that, suck balls. Don’t tell me I can’t do something because you can’t. I’ve been in this position before. It reminds me of my fight with Cory Sandhagen. I don’t want to jinx it, but I think the storm is coming, and I’m going to shock the world again. And if I don’t, I’m going to die trying,” Sterling said.
Aljamain Sterling: UFC Gave Me 1-Hour Deadline for UFC Qatar