Aljamain Sterling earns Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt

Fan-favorite UFC bantamweight, Aljamain Sterling, earns his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt according to his Instagram post.

Fan-favorite bantamweight Aljamain Sterling has reached a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu milestone that many competitors take years to accomplish. He’s been awarded a black belt in the martial art by Matt Serra according to a post on his official Instagram on Sunday.

“What a journey it has been to reach this point as a BJJ player,” Sterling wrote. “I’m so competitive against myself in everything that I do, that words really can’t explain how much receiving a BJJ black-belt from sensei [Matt Serra] means to me. As I heard my name being called, I instantly felt the waterworks rushing to my eyes! (I was able to fight them off with a Kimuras and leglocks).”

“But seriously, this is just the beginning of a new chapter. As much as I love to compete, I know the importance of lowering my protective shield of pride and/or ego so that I can have an open mind to continue to learn from everyone. This is my gold medal. And I can’t wait for my shot to win a gold UFC belt.”

Sterling is coming off a recent win over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 238, putting him into the title picture in a big way. He’s riding a four-fight win streak, including a second-round kneebar submission of Cody Stamann at UFC 228. Over the course of his career, he holds 18 wins, six of those via submission.

At press time he was not booked for his next bout.