Aljamain Sterling feels two split decision losses were able to light a fire under him.
Sterling fought Augusto Mendes on the preliminary portion of the UFC on FOX 24 card last night (April 15). “The Funk Master” earned a unanimous decision victory in a bout that saw him showcase a wide set of skills.
Not content with sticking to one style this time, Sterling said his close losses to Bryan Caraway and Raphael Assuncao played a role in his performance against Mendes (via MMAJunkie.com):
“It kind of did a service for me, if that makes sense. It was kind of annoying, but at the same time, it kind of did me a service. It made me open up and have a much better performance overall, from punching to kicking to grappling – from just pushing the pace and having a heart. There are so many different ways that the art of this sport can go, and people don’t really understand the intricacies that go into this. I put my heart and soul into this every single training (session) and every single practice. That’s why it pains me so much. People may say, ‘Oh, he’s a whiner. He’s a complainer.’ No, man, I just want you guys to give me 100 percent like I’m trying to give you 100 percent. I’m in here busting my ass. For you to just come off the couch and just go and start judging a fight with no real experience, I just think that that’s kind of a slap in the face for what we do for a living.”
