Aljamain Sterling has revealed a 'bucket list' he made in 2019 where he wanted to have $175,000 in his bank account.
The UFC champion has made a remarkable rise to fame in the bantamweight division, where he reigns as champion. Sterling recently defended his title for a second time after stopping challenger TJ Dillashaw, who dislocated his shoulder during the clash.
After the contest, the 33-year-old revealed that he had bought his mother a house to celebrate his recent earnings, which have seen him generate wealth up to $1million in his bank account. “My bank account, I finally hit a million dollars comfortably with my three houses and other investments, not including those,” Sterling told the MMA Hour following his recent win in Abu Dhabi.
In an emotional post on Instagram, Sterling uncovered a list of ambitions he made in 2019 prior to his remarkable rise, which included earning a No.1 contender clash and becoming a BJJ black belt. He wrote as the caption: "Found this gem stashed on the dresser last night as I was packing for my flight to LA today. Seeing this got me choked up to see where I was to where I am today. This journey hasn’t been easy, and I’ve given up a lot of precious moments to chase a dream that none of us athletes are ever 100% sure will happen.
"As I write this, I see that I crushed a lot of these goals and still have the hunger for more! When you write things down it tends to make your path a little clearer and you subconsciously do things that work towards what you want in life. I hope to inspire someone when I say this, but there’s really no shortcut to your dreams and it rarely happens overnight.
"Be a student of your game, work smart, know when to work hard, never be afraid to ask questions or get a mentor, and always remember that we can be better than yesterday!"
The list included a number of personal ambitions, including working on his boxing and striking, in addition to a potential hint that he could look to turn to MMA coaching after hanging up his gloves.
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Fighter pay in the UFC has been a significant talking point in recent months, which has been particularly dragged to the fore by YouTube star Jake Paul, who has launched a campaign to increase awareness of the issue by targeting president Dana White. Sterling has since revealed he is proud to reach the $1million mark particularly given the current pay-rate of many fighters on the roster.
He continued: “It might not be something to brag about to other sports, but for someone who has been in a sport like this, where the pay scale isn’t the craziest, I am proud to say all the things I have been able to do, buy my mum a house, buy myself a house. Where I am at right now, I am in a very good place in my life."
