Aljamain Sterling will be taking on another top 15 ranked bantamweight in Raphael Assuncao this weekend at UFC On Fox 23. Sterling is excited to show the fans what he can do this Saturday Night.
“He likes to let his opponents run in and counter-strike, and land those big strikes and get off on those big combinations,” Sterling said to MMA Junkie. “I’m prepared for that. I know where he’s not very strong, which is the wrestling. I know once I get on top, that’s it. Once I get on top, I will wreak havoc on this guy.”
Sterling lost his last fight, and his undefeated streak to Bryan Caraway, but learned from it.
“I don’t think there was any stress,” he said. “People asked me about the undefeated record, but I really didn’t give a (expletive) about that. I always cared about how I performed when I stepped into the octagon, whether I let my hands go and used my jiu-jitsu well and mixed everything well. I learned a valuable lesson. I needed to trust in what I’m doing, and what helped me get where I am today. I think I shot myself in the foot, and that played a factor in me gassing out so early in that fight, which sucks.”
UFC On Fox 23 takes place on Saturday, January 28 from the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado with Juliana Pena and Valentina Shevchenko headlining.
