Aljamain Sterling Is Now Officially Competing With Dana White and Conor McGregor’s $600 Million Business Venture

After announcing his retirement this year, former UFC fighter Kevin Lee revealed something that Dana White had told him, which perfectly encapsulates what combat sports is. White had told Lee that Mixed Martial Arts is more of an opportunity than a career. And when you look at fighter pay and compensation, that is very true. Most UFC fighters retire between the ages of 35-40. And all of those fighters need to earn a livelihood after retirement. Not to mention the various health and quality of life issues that they face.

This is where the importance of smart investments and money management comes in. Athletes like Shaquille O’Neal, Conor McGregor, and Magic Johnson were able to take this route and ensure financial stability post-retirement. And UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling seems to be trying to do just that. The Jamaican-American is following McGregor and White into the alcohol business. He recently announced the launching of his own line of rum, appropriately called ‘Funk Harbor’.

A sneak peek at Aljamain Sterling’s Funk Harbor

The  34-year-old has collaborated with Driftwood Distillery to launch his Jamaican Rum. The UFC bantamweight champion tweeted pictures of his rum and announced that his rum would be on sale soon.

He revealed that he had been working on the project for at least a year, and promised fans a quality product. However, the New Yorker has his eyes firmly set on UFC 292 this Saturday and defending his title against Sean O’Malley.

UFC champ’s massive disclosure about his own alcohol consumption

Sterling is known for his clean and disciplined lifestyle when he is training for a fight. Except for his love of sweets, his self-proclaimed weakness, which he cannot help but partake even in camp, as it helps him stay mentally happy and healthy. ‘Funkmaster’ has revealed another secret that helps him perform better in fights- alcohol.

“I always have a drink before my fight, the only one I didn’t do recently was the Henry Cejudo fight. And I normally have like something on the rocks or a beer after my weigh-in dinner. I like to have something that helps me sleep, helps me relax,” he said.

The Serra-Longo Flight Team member made this revelation in a Q&A session with fans ahead of his fight against O’Malley. He said that he has a drink the night before he fights after the weigh-in as it helps him relax and sleep better.

Conor McGregor and Dana White’s business compared to Aljamain Sterling’s ‘Funk Harbor’

Conor McGregor is worth an estimated $200 million. His ‘Proper No. 12’ is an Irish whiskey brand founded in 2018 under the umbrella of his Eire Born Spirit company. The Irishman and his partners sold the majority of his stakes in the company to Proximo Spirits for $600 million. This deal further cemented his status as the richest fighter in MMA. The former two-weight champion is a savvy businessman and has a diverse portfolio of businesses. He owns a fashion line, called August McGregor, a fitness app- McGregor F.A.S.T., a media house, The Mac Life, and has even partnered with a mobile game.

Dana White, on the other hand, has made his money from the UFC. He made an estimated $360 million when he and co-owners Fertitta brothers sold the company at a valuation of over $4 billion. The UFC boss also owns the slap-fighting league Power Slap. He is also seen promoting ‘Howler Head’ Kentucky bourbon whiskey, owned by the Wooler Brand Inc. They are official partners of the UFC and White has spoken about his fondness for the whiskey on numerous ocassions.

Read More – After Sean O’Malley’s 1000+ Dominant Days in Bantamweight Division, Aljamain Sterling Could Only Be One to Stop the UFC Star Ahead of UFC 292

Aljamain Sterling has stated that his bout against Sean O’Malley would be his last fight at 135, as he finds cutting so much weight difficult. The champion goes into the fight off of a nine-win streak, having won a split decision against Henry Cejudo in his last fight in May. His challenger boasts an impressive resume with just one loss on his eighteen-fight record. He won his last fight in a controversial split decision against Petr Yan at UFC 280. The fight is seen as a classic grappler (Sterling) vs. striker (O’Malley) clash. ‘Funkmaster’ remains confident of victory and stated that one mistake from ‘Sugar’ is all he needs to be able to defeat the Montana native.

And, it seems, the 34-year-old is planning for his future and will be looking to build his brand and emulate the template set by Conor McGregor to build generational wealth. After all, fighting is one of the most difficult and punishing careers to pursue, and it is good to see more and more fighters leverage their success inside the cage into businesses outside it.

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