Aljamain Sterling’s journey to becoming a UFC bantamweight champion was unconventional, controversial, and ultimately transformative. In a candid conversation on the Daniel Cormier Show, the former champion revealed the dark side of his title win and the racist abuse that followed one of the sport’s most debated moments.
Sterling’s championship victory at UFC 259 came via disqualification after Petr Yan landed an illegal knee while Sterling was grounded. The win was legitimate according to the rules, but it sparked immediate controversy among fans who questioned the legitimacy of his title reign. What followed was a year and a half of relentless online harassment that crossed far beyond typical fan criticism into deeply disturbing territory.
“Anything I posted, any friend or family member that posted me and I repost it, share it to like my story or whatever, they would just be in their DMs either dropping the n-bomb, calling them monkeys,” Sterling revealed.
The abuse wasn’t limited to clown emojis and criticism of his performance—it escalated to racial slurs directed at him and his loved ones. “I had a year and a half of just straight clown emojis on my page. And then after I won, the clowns disappeared.”
The racist attacks extended beyond Sterling himself. Family members who showed support on social media found their direct messages flooded with hateful content. The intensity and persistence of the abuse forced Sterling to confront a difficult reality about the sport’s fanbase and society at large.
Despite advice from consultants to stay off social media, Sterling refused to be bullied into silence. “I’m not going to let nobody bully me. I ain’t going to let the fans bully me,” he stated defiantly.
The situation was compounded by widespread skepticism about Sterling’s condition following the illegal knee. Critics accused him of exaggerating his injuries, pointing to photos of him celebrating with friends after the fight.
However, Sterling explained he had been hospitalized, suffered a concussion, and was throwing up—hardly the condition of someone faking an injury. “Cat scans don’t detect concussions,” he pointedly noted, addressing Dana White’s public comments about his medical examination.
The redemption came at UFC 273 when Sterling defeated Yan in their rematch, proving his worth as champion. Yet the scars from that period remain. Sterling admitted the experience fundamentally changed his relationship with fans.
“How can you flip on somebody overnight like that and be so dark and ugly?” he asked. The veteran fighter, who previously would take time for lengthy conversations with fans, now maintains more distance, a protective measure born from trauma.
Even his coaches questioned his account of the first fight, repeatedly asking if he was certain about what happened. “Why would I ever lie to you? You don’t think I want to win?” he said. The lack of belief from his inner circle saddened him.
Sterling is now competing at featherweight and ranked fifth in the division.
