"Feels like a bad, bad dream" - Aljamain Sterling gets real as Alexander Volkanovski shuts down title fight for him

Aljamain Sterling is still recovering from his loss to Sean O'Malley and the implications it has on his future.

At UFC 292, 'Sugar' pulled off one of the best counters in the UFC to dethrone one of the most dominant bantamweight fighters ever. 'Funk Master' was knocked out in the second round of the fight and lost his belt in what was supposed to be his last fight in the division.

However, following his loss, Alexander Volkanovski has spoken out saying he would not give Sterling a title shot if he moved up. Here's what Aljamain Sterling's reaction to the news was:

"This all still feels like a bad, bad dream. Unfortunately, it’s not. This sport is really something…. I’m just gonna let it fuel me. I’ll be back"

Take a look at the tweet:

Aljamain Sterling had a first-hand experience of the ruthlessness of mixed martial arts. At one point he was at the top of the fight game as the reigning champion and one punch changed everything for him.

He will look to get his revenge on O'Malley and win his belt back before he can plan to move up in weight. Volkanovski has made it clear that Sterling does not deserve a title shot after that loss.

---

Aljamain Sterling questions the stoppage by referee Marc Goddard

Following the UFC 292 event, a number of fans online and even Joe Rogan questioned whether the referee stopped the fight early.

Despite being knocked down by Sean O'Malley, Sterling did not immediately give up. He tried to fight back while he was on the ground but O'Malley kept throwing hammer fists at him.

Here's what he had to say about the stoppage:

"It was very odd to me. Rolling backwards to all 4’s isn’t showing intelligent defense, I guess. I never 'went out', was moving the on the ground, but that’s the game. All comes down to the ref judgement, which is out of my control. I should’ve never rushed the 2nd RD action. That’s on me"

Take a look at the tweet:

Although a number of people believe the fight was stopped early, referees look to ensure the fighter's welfare before anything else. Aljamain Sterling was on the receiving end of a number of lethal hammer fists from Sean O'Malley and got hit with over a dozen of them as he was down.