By Duane Finley

Aljamain Sterling isn’t your average bantamweight.

The highly touted prospect from Long Island has championship aspirations, but is very much in tune with the work needed to make those dreams a reality. That's why Sterling sticks to his grind in all aspects of his career to position himself for success.

“I’m just taking everything in and trying to enjoy the process,” Sterling said. “I’m able to appreciate the process, but stay focused on the task at hand. You just have to be able to balance promotion and getting mentally ready for the fight.”

While Sterling’s untarnished resume and excellence inside the cage have elevated his profile, his charisma and social media savvy have made him a must-watch attraction beyond the bright lights. Sterling knows he can be a star, and it likely won’t be long before that comes to fruition.

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“I’m getting a little bit of push from the promotion and that’s a good feeling,” Sterling said. “I guess I could say doing those things took up a bit more of my time than I imagined it would, but it’s something I knew was coming. It’s all about finding that balance because at the end of the day I have to win in order for these things to keep happening. I never lose sight of that.

“The key is understanding how this whole thing works. You have to learn how to play the game. You have to do the little things to get yourself to where you want to be. I asked for a bigger check. I asked for a bigger push and campaigned for the things I wanted. I got what I’ve been asking for so now it’s on me to go out there and deliver." 

In combat sports, winning dictates everything. Sterling knows every fight is more important than the last, but his upcoming tilt with Bryan Caraway seems to carry a bit more significance. It was a fight Sterling asked for numerous times, but wasn’t able to land because of Caraway’s apparent indifference.

Nevertheless, Caraway finally came around and agreed to throw down with “Aljo” at Fight Night 88 this Sunday in Las Vegas.

Sterling’s wrestling background and connection to martial arts taught him respect in competition, but any appreciation for Caraway as an individual falls off drastically beyond that line.



“I have nothing but respect for the guy when it comes to his skill set, but outside of that, I think he’s a loser, man,” Sterling said. “The guy blocks me on Instagram, then goes and tags me in a post like a clown. That’s just downright idiotic. I have no words for the guy, to be honest. All my talking is done, and I can’t wait to get in there and prove to this guy who the better fighter is.

“He can try to talk all the sh*t he wants, but if he was so tough, he wouldn’t need a life coach. He wouldn’t need a mental coach telling him, ‘Oh, Brian, it’s OK. Just focus on this and block out the negative energy.’ I don’t know, man. I think he’s already defeated, and he’s trying to do everything in his power to pump himself up and make himself believe he can hang with me.

Although Caraway picked up several quality wins inside the Octagon, Sterling doesn’t believe his opponent will have what it takes to stop him. The self-proclaimed “Human Jansport” has a smothering ground attack that he believes will prove too much for Caraway to handle on Sunday.

“He has to know I’m the faster guy and I’m the stronger guy in this fight. I’m younger and much hungrier than he is. He has a world-champion girlfriend, and he’s content. He’s happy where he is right now. He doesn’t want it like I want it because I want it all.

“Bryan Caraway is gonna get carried away after this fight is over.”