Recall that Sterling was knocked out in the second round and lost the title.
“I didn't want the fight to be boring. I had the option of being at a distance and kicking, but then everyone would criticize me. That was the difference - Sean was strict with the game plan, while I was trying to add spectacle to my style, and ended up paying the price.
We all remember the fight between Adesanya and Romero. We've all seen boring fights with little going on because no one wants to make that fatal mistake. But I allowed it, and Sean took advantage of it, ”Sportkeeda quotes Sterling.