Aljamain Sterling sympathizes with Conor McGregor after latest injury: ‘Many people told me my career was over’

Aljamain Sterling has emerged as a sympathetic voice for Conor McGregor's injury struggles, drawing on his own experience overcoming a career-threatening neck injury to underscore the mental and physical toll of fighting through setbacks.

Sterling underwent "life-changing" neck surgery years ago to address severe nerve damage, a procedure that carried significant risk. Despite widespread predictions that his career was finished, Sterling returned to competition and defeated Petr Yan in a rematch to capture the UFC bantamweight title on his comeback fight—proof, he says, that doubters can be proven wrong. That resilience informs his perspective on McGregor's recent knee injury sustained seconds into his UFC 329 bout against Max Holloway after a five-year layoff.

"You always hope that people can come back," Sterling told MMA Fighting. "I've had many surgeries. Many people told me my career was over." He recalled T.J. Dillashaw predicting the neck surgery would be "the nail in the coffin," yet Sterling rebounded to defend his title multiple times. He emphasized that McGregor's recovery will depend less on medical intervention alone and more on lifestyle discipline. "As long as he's doing the right things," Sterling said, "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."

Sterling also raised concerns about McGregor's history with the UFC's anti-doping program. McGregor dropped out during his previous injury layoff, and reports alleged he used banned substances during recovery—a practice that can weaken ligaments long-term. Sterling noted that fighters dropping out of testing are required to complete six months of re-testing before competing again. However, Sterling expressed understanding for athletes seeking optimal recovery after traumatic injuries, suggesting some flexibility in anti-doping enforcement for recovery purposes might be justified to preserve fighters' long-term quality of life.