Aljamain Sterling is excited to see what he can accomplish in the featherweight division. The former bantamweight champion makes his 145-pound debut at UFC 300 on April 13 against eighth-ranked Calvin Kattar.
To make the weight and compete as a bantamweight, Sterling had to adhere to a strict diet and lose muscle. Now that he’s not cutting down to 135 pounds, “Funk Master” believes he’ll perform better up a division.
“I’ve just been trying to get faster, trying to get stronger, more explosive. I’m not necessarily trying to put on size because I’ve already got the size comparison to all these other featherweights already,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel.
“I didn’t realize I was relatively the same size as all these other guys, and I’m a lot leaner,” Sterling continued. “Some of them carry a little bit more weight, so they look bigger but for the most part we’re walking around about about the same amount of weight.”
“My body is just not meant to be at 135 pounds,” he added. “So I’m excited to see what I can do at this weight now.”
Sterling’s five previous matches were five-round championship bouts. His UFC 300 contest against Kattar will be three rounds. Sterling thinks that plays in his favor.
“It feels crazy training for a three-round fight compared to a five-rounder,” Sterling said. “I’m not doing that much less. I’m still getting some quality, high grappling rounds.”
“15 minutes versus 25 is night and day,” Sterling continued. “People think like, ‘Oh, it’s just ten more minutes.’ Ten more minutes is like an eternity when you’re in that octagon. I’m blessed. I’m fortunate. I can push the pace for 15 and still enjoy my life a little bit. Still train hard but not have to kill myself. It’s the wear and tear of the 25-minute training camp that beats you up. Going up a weight class makes it a little bit easier on my body as well. Ten extra pounds and two less rounds. All and all – good stuff – I’m excited for the future.”