Former welterweight champion Matt Serra, who left Aljamain Sterling’s corner at UFC 259, has decided to remove himself from the equation altogether.
Serra said on Tuesday he was going to ‘retire’ as a cornerback and would no longer work with Sterling as an official cornerback, although he would support the new champion on his way forward.
“My thing is, I think going forward is better to retire on a high note,” Serra said at UFC Unfiltered. ‘I will always be in the corner of this child – just not physically, and not by my choice, by the choices made here. So I’m just going to step out of the corner thing completely. ”
Serra said he found out secondhand that he would not fight Sterling’s corner for a title fight with Petr Yan at UFC 259. The decision comes after a scattered training camp in which the two only worked together shortly before Sterling went to Las Vegas, where he took off. up with Xtreme Couture coach Eric Nicksick.
Although the former champion told Sterling in advance that he would understand the need to recruit others to complete their training in light of the pandemic trip, he said Sterling would let him know if he was needed this past Saturday for the opportunity.
“I’m just hurting,” Serra said. “I know you’re busy, but I need to know what I’m doing.”
Serra’s longtime partner, Ray Longo, has been named head coach of Sterling’s corner. The two praised the choice to let him out of the corner, Serra said. Sterling was one of the talents of New York who looked after the coaches in the UFC. That history made the decision difficult for the former champion.
“Nothing against Eric Nicksick,” Serra said. “It’s not his fault. Are you going to have this guy who’s been with you for three months over a guy who’s been with you for 7 years?
‘It’s not this thing of ours with mine and Longo anymore. And it’s cool, we did this thing to help these guys achieve their goals, but at the same time you can not help feeling a little contempt. ”
Serra explained that the attitude does not stem from vanity.
“I’m not trying to get my head in the fight,” he said. ‘What am I, Pauly from Rocky 1? “The butcher is trying to poke his face in!” I’m not that man. Listen, I do not need more popularity. I am good. I thought it was something we were all in together. ”
But now the retired fighter and coach has said his role will be behind the scenes.
“When people make choices, there are consequences,” Serra said. ‘It’s like I might understand that no one wants to say anything on my behalf because they do not want to raise this child’s head for the fight. I can understand that, but at the same time I would have handled things differently if the shoe was on the other foot. ‘
Sterling became the first UFC fighter to win a title via disqualification when Yan was linked to an illegal knee that caused him to be unable to continue. Nicksick spoke in an interview with MMA Fighting about the controversial end and the aftermath of the fight. A fight between Sterling and Yan is planned for the near future.