Aljamain Sterling’s journey in the fighting world has been seasoned by diverse experiences, but his getaway at UFC 296 proved to be an unprecedented chapter. The former bantamweight champion, who was expecting to attend T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for the final UFC pay-per-view of 2023, along with his entourage, faced an unexpected hurdle upon arrival. It was that there were no tickets available. Sterling addressed the situation on social media, and he apologized to fans who may have felt overlooked while waiting outside.
When asked about Sterling’s ticket predicament, UFC CEO Dana White suggested the tickets were arranged through a sponsor and expressed uncertainty as to why the tickets were canceled. Mr Sterling responded to Mr White’s comments on his YouTube channel, acknowledging there may be a communication breakdown.
“I’m not trying to fan the flames. I think there was a little bit of a disconnect somewhere.” Sterling said. “The only thing I really didn’t understand was someone sent me a clip of Dana saying the tickets were through a sponsor. I’ve never gotten tickets to a UFC fight from a sponsor, so I didn’t know what that was. I don’t know. I always go through the same exact channel every time.”
Reflecting on the situation, Sterling emphasized the unusual nature of the incident and revealed that he had consistently sought tickets through standard UFC channels. Regardless of the outcome, he stressed the importance of early communication and said he would like more timely information.
Sterling said after leaving the arena that he and his buddies eventually enjoyed a pay-per-view event at a rooftop bar. UFC staff attempted to rectify the situation, but by the time they reached out, Sterling had already left the team.
“I wouldn’t say it was on purpose though.” Sterling said. “I’m going to chalk it up to someone dropping the ball. I usually ask for both, so maybe I asked for both events in advance and they didn’t let me in.”
Sterling acknowledged that there were occasional miscommunications in the fighter seats and pointed out similarities to past incidents involving Josh Emmett and Urijah Faber. Despite the setback, Mr Stirling conveyed his understanding and his determination to be more cautious in securing tickets for future events.
“They reached out. It was great.” Sterling said. “Hopefully something like this never happens again. For me, from now on, I’ll always check before I leave the house, because that was crazy. I could never do that again.”
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