Aljamain Sterling just became UFC champion for the first time when he decided it was finally time to address a neck injury that had plagued his career for years.
The “life-changing” surgery allowed Sterling to start operating without severe pain caused by nerve damage in his neck but there was also a lot of risk that came along with that particular procedure. After his comeback was delayed while still recovering from the surgery, Sterling heard plenty of critics say that he would never be the same
and perhaps his career was going to end due to the neck surgery.
Of course, Sterling proved everybody wrong by not only returning to action but he beat Petr Yan in a rematch to solidify himself as UFC bantamweight champion in his first fight back. That’s why Sterling is sympathetic to what Conor McGregor is dealing with right now after his comeback was quickly thwarted when he blew out his knee just seconds into his fight against Max Holloway at UFC 329.
“You always hope that people can come back,” Sterling told MMA Fighting courtesy of Ignition Poker. “I don’t want to say be better but at least come back and compete a high level still. I think that’s what most of us wanted to see. Can Conor actually come back and can he come back and compete at a high level? He’s coming back to fight Max Holloway. That’s no easy return. But with that said, I’ve had many surgeries. Many people told me my career was over.
“T.J. Dillashaw, before the fight, he did an interview and was saying he heard that [neck surgery] was the nail in the coffin, and I would never come back. Thankfully, I did and I came back and I felt better. I’ve been able to compete and win a world title the right way. Defended it a couple of times. Here I am a couple of years removed.”
McGregor, who was out of action for five years following a broken leg suffered in a trilogy against Dustin Poirier back in 2021, already said that he’s having surgery on his knee but absolutely plans to fight again.
More than anything, Sterling just hopes McGregor can stay walking on the straight and narrow during his recovery because that might affect his ability to fight again more than waiting on his knee to heal completely.
“I just think as long as he’s doing the right things.” Sterling said. “He doesn’t go back down the dark path and it’s OK to have fun but you can’t be doing that every single day, every other day and getting banged up like that. There’s going to be some diminishing returns but if he does the right thing, he’ll come back.”
When McGregor was sidelined with the broken leg, he dropped out of the UFC’s anti-doping program, which raised more than a few questions about what he might be doing to recover from the damage done.
A New York Times report alleged that McGregor was taking banned substances to aid in his recovery and that explained why he dropped out of the UFC’s testing pool for several years. McGregor eventually returned to the UFC’s anti-doping program and he’s already been tested 15 times in 2026 with no adverse results.
But using banned substances like steroids can also have a long-term effect on a fighter’s body.
“I think the biggest thing for me is the testing pool,” Sterling said. “Because he before he came out of the testing pool and I think [Sean] Strickland touched on it, guys who typically do those type of things, they end up with ligaments that become easier to snap or tear.
“I’m curious if he’s going to do it the organic way or if he’s going to come out of the testing pool. I do think he can come back and bounce back from this.”
Fighters who drop out of the UFC’s anti-doping program for any reason are required to undergo six months of testing before being allowed to compete again.
Assuming McGregor tore his ACL at UFC 329, he’s likely looking at a year off at minimum to recovery but he’s given no indication that he plans to drop out of the testing pool again.
That said, Sterling understands why McGregor would want to take any necessary means to get healthy again, especially after he already had to take off so much time with the broken leg. That’s why the former UFC champion won’t fault McGregor for doing whatever it takes to get back to full health, even if that means skirting the promotion’s rules on performance enhancing drugs.
“I do think there’s something to be said when an athlete or a fighter goes through a traumatic injury,” Sterling said. “There should be some type of leniency with that. I think it should be under a certain protocol, I don’t know what the right way is but I think for anyone, you would want the best opportunity to get as healthy as you possibly can. We’re talking life after fighting, not just ‘I’m trying to make sure I can come back and compete.’ But quality of life.
“Because I didn’t do certain things [I have less range of motion in my wrist]. It’s crazy. I’ve got to live with that for the rest of my life. If you’re telling me there’s a way to speed up my recovery and help those ligaments and tendons heal, yeah, I would do it. I would say screw the testing. It’s not like I’m doing stuff to get jacked up and taking HGH and stuff like that. I’m doing this for quality of life, not for an edge in competition.”
