Aljamain Sterling shares several common traits with former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
And the two just so happen to be fighting on the same UFC 214 card this Saturday, miles and miles away from their homes in New York.
Sterling meets Renan Barao in a catchweight bout from the Honda Center in Anaheim, while Jones takes on Daniel Cormier for the light heavyweight title.
In a recent interview with FOX Sports, Sterling explained getting his start in MMA with the help of “Bones.”
“Sure enough I went down there the first practice, we hung out, we got to working and I haven’t stopped training since,” Sterling said. “Because of (Jones), I started earlier. I was a student of the game, same way I was with wrestling.
“I just wanted to get better really, really fast.”
“I saw how fast he got to the UFC, six fights in like six months, and I was like, ‘Yo, I could do the same thing,'” Sterling said. “I know I could do the same thing, just got to make weight, take these guys out and I’m going to the UFC.”
For Aljamain @FunkMaster_UFC Sterling, who better to learn the fight game inside the octagon than @JonnyBones. #FIGHTINGWORDS #UFC214 pic.twitter.com/gapkyWizKO
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 28, 2017
