Aljamain Sterling Knows Where He’s Going After He Retires From MMA

Whenever Aljamain Sterling hangs up his fighting gloves, he said he already knows what his next stop will be.

Some fans might say that Sterling made his acting debut at UFC 259 against Petr Yan when he earned the bantamweight title after a striking performance. But the champion revealed that he actually debuted in acting this year with MMA Coach Din Thomas.

“I’m excited. This was my first movie, getting some actual speaking lines, and I think it’s just something to set myself up for after MMA when I do decide to hang ‘em up,” Sterling said. “And just to have that option and that flexibility…it’s entertainment, just like this is entertainment, what we do now. I enjoy it.”

There has yet to be specific details about the movie, but Sterling said he won’t be the main character.

The 32-year-old said it wasn’t as tough as some might think. He only had a couple of lines and tried to do it “as natural as possible” for some scenes.

Sterling earned the UFC gold in his last appearance at UFC 259.

After brutal rounds, Yan landed an illegal knee, and Sterling could not continue the fight. Judges decided to give the title to Sterling.

“Eventually, I would like to get in those more challenging roles where: more with the facial expressions and the body mannerisms and that type of thing. I think that’s gonna make it a little bit more of an art form,” Sterling added.

The UFC scheduled the rematch, but after surgery, doctors did not allow him to participate. However, Yan and Cory Sandhagen will fight for the interim belt at UFC 267. The winner of the fight will be a mandatory rival for the champion.