If the UFC is trying set bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling as the bad guy in his upcoming title defense against Sean O’Malley, well, he’d like to be let in on the joke.
“You put me in this situation and you make it sound as if…if you want me to be the bad guy tell me behind closed doors, behind the scenes. Aljo, this is what we’re going to do. This is the script. Here it is. It’s not WWE, but this is the script. This is what we see that the fans are picking up on you,” Sterling said on his podcast ‘The Weekly Scraps’ on YouTube on Monday.
“Why don’t we just take this and turn the volume up and accelerate the noise, and make this as crazy as possible. I’m with it,” Sterling said as he pretended to turn a volume knob up.
“You guys know I like to play a character. I’ll be him. Let me be the character, but get me in on the joke.”
Sterling is clearly talking about UFC president Dana White and comments he’s made about the bantamweight champion and his next bout expected to be at UFC 292 in Boston, MA against O’Malley.
“Not when you’re going to keep doing this stuff, and making me look like I’m a b*tch or like…nah bro you’re not going to keep doing that dogg. F*ck out of here. Dana, get out of here with that,” he continued.
White commented on Sterling at his post-fight press conference at UFC Vegas 73 on Saturday night. White was asked about Sterling’s camp saying no fight was agreed to, and his challenger O’Malley saying he’s showing up regardless. White’s reaction clearly showed how frustrating the entire situation has become.
“Do you want me to explain what’s going on in the mind of f*cking Aljo,” White asked. Then he switched gears a bit.
“I was in the gym this morning working out. You know who I got a call from? Three guesses who called me today and said ‘Uhh Aljo sounds like he doesn’t really want to fight.’ Three guesses.”
It took one guess for the name Henry Cejudo to be said.
“Henry Cejudo calls me and says ‘This little pussy doesn’t want to fight. I’ll take the fight. I’m throwing my hat right now let’s do it. I’ll fight O’Malley,” said White.
“Aljo’s one of those guys who just can’t get out of his own way. Apparently he’s in for the fight, why he said that who knows, it’s just…this is my life brother.”
As to the actual fight itself White was adamant that it’s absolutely happening.
“The fight is on. The fight is absolutely, positively, on,” he said.
“Dana is super nice behind closed doors, but then he tells me I can’t get out of my own way. What does that even mean? Just clarify what that means,” Sterling said on his podcast.
“My thing with Dana is damn, dog, why can’t you just give credit where credit is due? Even if you feel I can’t get out of my own way, which there’s no context behind that, because literally everything you’ve asked me to do, I’ve done it. So make it make sense. What does that even mean, Dana? I’m pretty sure he couldn’t give you a straight answer what that actually means.”
Seems like Sterling isn’t feeling the love from the promotion, or White specifically, while at the same time continuing to do what the UFC has asked of him, according to the bantamweight champion.
“What’s so hard for Dana to go, ‘Absolutely the fight’s done. We spoke to him. This kid’s always shown to the fights. He’s always makes weight, he does all the media stuff, we know he’s going to show up. Yeah he just fought two weeks ago, yeah he’s a little banged up, but he gave us his word that he’s going to show up for this fight,” Sterling said.
“The kid’s a stud. Isn’t he awesome?’ The same way he goes for Conor (McGregor).”
Sterling continued saying that White praises anything McGregor does. The bantamweight champ would like some of that same treatment.
“Whenever Conor does something (Dana is like) ‘Oh my god! Isn’t he awesome?’ Can I be awesome too, Dana? Not asking for much,” Sterling said.
“Stop playing with my name, bro.”
