Jon Jones has been inspiring a whole generation of fighters with the greatness he achieved. But the methods behind it can be a little challenging. On a Joe Rogan Podcast episode, ‘Bones’ revealed, “I literally would, one week before every fight,” using drinking as a psychological escape — something he could blame if he ever lost inside the octagon. While it’s not exactly the preferred method for most fighters, Aljamain Sterling found himself hugely inspired by it.

‘Funkmaster’ first met ‘Bones’ during his junior college wrestling days at SUNY Morrisville. The two started spending time together in practice after Sterling connected with Jones on MySpace back in the day. Looking back at that moment, the former bantamweight champion admitted that he gradually followed ‘Bones’s infamous footsteps. 

Aljamain Sterling admits to alcohol consumption before UFC Shanghai fight 

Sterling, in an interview with Adam Catterall on the One on One YouTube channel, stated, “I was one of those guys who went cold turkey for the whole fight camp as an amateur. And then I ran into Jon Jones, who was my mentor and brought me into the sport. One night, I saw him out, and he was fighting the very next weekend. I was confused. I thought I was supposed to be like Mike Tyson and all these other guys who didn’t touch anything.”

As crazy as it sounds, drinking alcohol before a fight might not be all that uncommon. Ilia Topuria once admitted to consuming wine during weight cuts to make featherweight, saying it helped him release more water from his system. However, he eventually stopped after feeling uneasy because of the high. For Aljamain Sterling, though, it turned out differently, as he revealed he adapted to it swiftly.

‘Funkmaster’ added, “But Jon was the villain, you know. That’s when I thought, let me go little by little. And honestly, it didn’t affect my performance. I know some people say it’s an edge, but I’m like, dude, I think I did just fine in my career.”

So, it seems the former bantamweight kingpin has also been enjoying some drinks ahead of his ultimate showdown against Brian Ortega at UFC Shanghai’s co-main event. It’s a high-stakes clash between two of the most coveted ground artists. But as much as Sterling is hyped to get back, he still couldn’t wrap his head around why the fight was booked for five rounds. 

‘Funkmaster’ was annoyed over the 5-round fight with Brian Ortega  

There was some confusion around the rounds when the UFC Shanghai co-main event was first announced. Aljamain Sterling originally believed it would be a regular three-round bout, but it turns out Brian Ortega actually requested a full-distance fight. The former bantamweight champion wasn’t thrilled, calling it an extremely stupid decision since neither of them is getting paid for the extra rounds.

He told MMA Fighting, “Yeah, I don’t know why it’s five rounds. I don’t know if Brian Ortega is the one who asked for five rounds. But like, five-round main events, if you’re not the champion, you get an extra pay incentive. So I’m kind of annoyed because we’re not getting extra pay for five rounds. I’m like, ‘Did he want to fight five rounds for no extra money?’ I think it’s kind of f*** stupid.”

On top of that, the fight was nearly in jeopardy after ‘T-City’ missed weight by quite a margin. At first, rumors suggested the bout was canceled, but it was later confirmed that the matchup would move forward at a 153 lbs catchweight. With that, both fighters are still set to collide in the co-main event.

That said, with so many changes leading up to fight night! Do you think the weight adjustment will affect the bout? And more importantly, will Sterling still perform at his best while sticking to his unusual fight-week habit of drinking alcohol? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!