Aljamain Sterling revealed that he would not accept a fight against Jean Silva if he received the offer with little preparation time. The former UFC bantamweight champion (up to 61,2 kg) admitted that he is not physically ready to face the Brazilian in a five-round fight. He has a fight scheduled against Jose Delgado on September 12th in Arizona (USA). The Fighting Nerds member was supposed to face Yair Rodriguez, who was injured in that important bout.
In his YouTube podcast, available last Monday (24), the American stated that he would immediately refuse any invitation to face Jean under the current conditions. Sterling explained the reasons why the fighter would not perform at his best in the octagon.
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“If they offered me a fight against Jean Silva , I would look them in the eye and say, ‘You know what? I absolutely wouldn’t accept that fucking fight.’ If I were to fight in the shape I’m in now, it definitely wouldn’t be a good idea. I just got back from Serbia and Albania. Do you think I’m in shape to fight five rounds with so little preparation time? No way. Give me a training period,” said Aljamain Sterling.
The former champion also clarified that he never received an official offer to face the Brazilian. Despite denying a last-minute duel, the veteran left the door open for the confrontation should he have enough time to prepare.
“No, they never offered me a fight. I would have preferred to have done full training. If they said they could reschedule the fight with Jean Silva for another date, I would accept. It would make sense. It's more interesting than a guy who was ranked 13th and they magically put him in 12th,” the veteran fighter concluded.
Jean's history in MMA
Jean Silva celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
At 29 years old, Jean Silva is one of the great Brazilian prospects in the UFC featherweight division. The athlete has a professional record of 17 wins and three losses, with an impressive 12 wins by knockout and three by submission, numbers that reinforce his aggressive style and reputation as a dangerous striker.
A member of the Fighting Nerds team, 'Lord' is experiencing a great phase in the organization, having defeated names like Arnold Allen , Bryce Mitchell , Drew Dober , and Charles Jourdain , establishing himself as one of the main contenders to fight for the category's belt.
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