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Aljamain Sterling has revealed that he cannot fight in New York because of his medical condition. The fighter explained on The MMA Hour that in 2014 he had to undergo a CAT scan and it revealed two spots in the brain. Sterling is a New York local and long-time student of the premier New York City MMA squad, the Sierra Longo fight team. He chose to not take the risk of surgery at the time and it prevented him from fighting in his hometown. Sterling's UFC debut took place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, but he went for his pre-fight medical tests in New York because he trains in the city. The New York Commission is strict as it became the 50th state in the United States to legalize MMA in 2016.
The UFC fighter said on The MMA Hour, “When I made my UFC debut, on February 22, 2014, — I’m a vet man! — at UFC 170, the Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann card, I believe I had to get a CAT scan, the first time ever getting a CAT scan. They found two spots on my brain, they were like a millimeter or something like that. But, it looked like there was trauma, and they weren’t sure what it was. I forget the exact term, aneurism or angioma or something like that.”
He continued to fight in Nevada and is allowed to fight in all other states except New York. Sterling further mentioned that doctors monitored his condition for a couple of years as he did not opt to remove the spots. Sterling will look to make the third defense of his bantamweight title against Henry Cejudo on May 7. His opponent Cujedo hasn't fought since retiring from fighting two years ago. It is to be noted that Aljamain won his last fight against TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280 in September 2023.
