Aljamain Sterling admits he seriously considered retirement heading into his UFC Vegas 116 bout against Youssef Zalal. The 36-year-old former bantamweight champion secured his second consecutive featherweight win but revealed the fight could have been his last under different circumstances.
Sterling has gone 3-1 since moving up to featherweight in 2024, with his only loss coming against top contender Movsar Evloev. Despite the success, the veteran fighter entered his fourth fight in the weight class with honest thoughts about his future in the sport.
Sterling Reveals Retirement Thoughts Before Zalal Fight
During the post-fight show, Sterling opened up about the mental preparation he went through before stepping into the Octagon. The manner of a potential loss would have determined whether he continued fighting.
“I’m not going to lie to you, definitely thoughts of retirement and things like that crossed my mind,” Sterling said. “Depending on how I lost, if I were to lose, and just being realistic.”
The former champion explained his reasoning for considering walking away from the sport. He emphasized that competing at the highest level remains his primary motivation.
“If I can’t compete, I don’t want to do this anymore. It’s not that I don’t want to do it because there’s no future for it. It’s just if I can’t compete with these young guys, why are you sticking around just taking an a– whooping for no reason?” Sterling stated.
Passing of the Torch Concerns
Sterling questioned whether his matchup with Zalal would become a passing of the torch moment at featherweight. The veteran fighter showed on Saturday night that he still has plenty left in the tank.
His performance mirrored recent comments from Gilbert Burns, who retired after his loss to Mike Malott. Burns had planned to compete three times this year but decided to walk away after being stopped by an unranked opponent.
Following his victory, Sterling called out both Movsar Evloev and Alexander Volkanovski. The win demonstrated that “Funkmaster” remains motivated to test himself against the division’s elite and isn’t ready to hang up his gloves just yet.