UFC on FOX 23's Aljamain Sterling excited to show what he can do when gas tank isn't on 'E'

Usually when you’re fighting in the UFC, your last week of training is more about maintenance than heavy lifting.

But for Aljamain Sterling, the final days of his training camp for Brian Caraway more resembled the middle of camp than the end. It taught him a lesson.

“When you’re ready, you’re ready,” Sterling (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) today told MMAjunkie Radio in advance of his UFC on FOX 23 meeting with Raphael Assuncao (23-5 MMA, 7-2 UFC). “When you put in all the work for training camp, you have to trust and believe in that.”

Sterling’s schedule prior to this past May’s UFC Fight Night 88 suggested doubts. One week out from his meeting with Caraway, he was still training twice a day, and they weren’t just drills. If he was a student and fight day was his test, his schedule resembled a last-minute cram.

“It sucked,” Sterling said. “I did a 6:30 morning workout, did sprints, did a burnout, got breakfast, and then (went to sleep, and) I woke up and did another hour workout.

“(My coach) Matt Serra came up and said, ‘You should probably save something for the fight.’ I said, ‘No, I want to go to through these positions again,’ and we weren’t going through the motions. And then I did another workout, which was the warmup (to the fight).”

What happened next should be no surprise. After the first round, Sterling was almost completely spent. Caraway took over and picked up a split-decision win, handing Sterling his first professional loss.

To outsiders, it might look like the pressure of the moment got to him. After all, he was defending what was then an unbeaten record.

On a four-fight win streak, Sterling also had negotiated his way into a more lucrative contract and was on the cusp of bigger opportunities. There was good reason to be nervous, but he denies his career played a part in what happened.

“I don’t think there was any stress,” he said. “People asked me about the undefeated record, but I really didn’t give a (expletive) about that. I always cared about how I performed when I stepped into the octagon, whether I let my hands go and used my jiu-jitsu well and mixed everything well.

“I learned a valuable lesson. I needed to trust in what I’m doing, and what helped me get where I am today. I think I shot myself in the foot, and that played a factor in me gassing out so early in that fight, which sucks.”

This time around, Sterling claims he’s done things better. That’s a good thing, because the fight will take place a mile above sea level when they meet on the FS1-televised prelims of Saturday’s event at Pepsi Center in Denver.

Any missteps in preparation are more easily exposed at altitude. Sterling, the No. 11 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings said he traveled early to make sure he acclimated. But this time, he said, he’s leaving energy to spare. No. 4-ranked Assuncao is a high-pace opponent, so even if he does, it’s bound to be a taxing effort.

“He likes to let his opponents run in and counter-strike, and land those big strikes and get off on those big combinations,” Sterling said. “I’m prepared for that. I know where he’s not very strong, which is the wrestling. I know once I get on top, that’s it. Once I get on top, I will wreak havoc on this guy.”

For more on UFC on FOX 23, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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