Paul Felder and Michael Chiesa preview Saturday’s much anticipated UFC 288: Sterling vs Cejudo fight card. Subscribe to get all …
Al Jermaine Sterling recently visited Jamaica in a historical homecoming as the first ever jamaican-american UFC champion joined by teammates Ally aquinta and bantamweight Contender murab dewalis Willy the Funkmaster led the group as they explored the local MMA scene then met up with his Caribbean relatives we look inside his Island Excursion in this edition of ultimate access [Music] champion of the world [Applause] [Music] [Applause] being the first Jamaican UFC champion I’m going to Jamaica because I want to give back to the country and it’s cool for me to go down there and just show a little bit of inspiration to the locals [Music] the goals of this trip for me was to indulge with the culture of the Jamaican people live more like the local I haven’t done that since I was maybe in my early teens and to help grow the sport of MMA as well as work with some charity groups [Music] so one of the things that a lot of people don’t know about me is that I was a physical education teacher I worked with a lot of kids from elementary school all the way through the 12th grade year welcome to Jamaica National Children’s Home it was founded in 1972. to see people here that are working with kids it means a lot to me because I know how much it takes and the type of patience that you have to have they are the ones that shape the futures of tomorrow with our students so my mission with the charity group is giving back and understanding some of the struggles that they are dealing with it’s a very different situation that they’re in in terms of funding resources for food cleaning supplies I’ll take this one we had bags of rice mackerel a sawfish cleaning supplies we were just trying to evaluate what they have and see how we can alleviate some of that stress then we have 20 children at attend this school that’s where they live okay we have Mr algerman Sterling say good afternoon it’s very important for me to participate in things like this because I grew up not having a lot so my sister and we are happy to have you donate to our facility at this time your donations they go are far away assisting with our needs we really appreciate it I’m guessing my big deals with men so when I mentioned to the guys that we’re going to go to Jamaica what the mission was and some of the Charities and the seminars that we’ll do they said 100 definitely they want to come along to experience a new country a different way of life and I’m thankful for these guys coming with me and sharing a part with me and doing things like this thank you thank you [Music] bye guys it’s eye-opening for me it’s definitely something that I’m gonna try to do you can tell these kids here they need some help but they’re smiling all the time they’re all just happy to see outside people oh just why love [Music] dance party time seeing we’re not ramping up there [Music] which is right here or no yeah but you don’t want these right here we’re headed to Sugar boxing gym right now I’m gonna do a little seminar and then I’ll show like some entries some clinch work some kicking these guys don’t necessarily have MMA teachers but they’re interested and curious in the sport and Rob’s talking to this kid who we then learn his name is they call him Hercules [Music] see a kid at his age moving the way he was moving I’m like okay we got a little something here my sparring session with Little Hercules it got intense really quick he was throwing some serious heat so I had to make sure I was keeping the guard up showing him some good defense I think we got Superstar on our hands [Music] my turn this is the future right here this is Breezy busy Pro our Pro voxel they’re primarily boxers at these gyms you got to learn the fundamentals and the basics this is an opportunity to introduce them to MMA work up into this position why neck we got inside attacks here the opportunity and the potential is Limitless down there in Jamaica you think this is something Go Down To Jamaica you’ll see hundreds of me walking around I can start to throw my punches in this position gotta pause these boys up and these girls it’s gonna be some dangerous people over here you’ll see Jamaica we’re coming we’re coming [Music] I hope they keep that in mind that anything can happen as long as they put the work in I can do it you could do it too throughout this trip we did a whole bunch of different activities we got to hang out in the beach we attempted to serve the waves are kind of flat we went horseback riding [Music] he rides horses all the time so he gets on of course and he’s hitting this thing yeah [Music] we jumped off the The Cliffs over at the Brew lagoons I don’t like heights but I jumped off the cliff a couple of times it wasn’t pretty the mountain trail is over here we went hiking all the greenery that we were able to see the air was super clean super pure Breath of Life we jumped in like a waterfall that was at the top of the trail [Applause] of course can’t help himself he has to climb because if he doesn’t climb it didn’t happen [Music] I do believe in like bonding with nature because at the end of the day we all go back to the Earth yeah yeah we’re waiting for my cousins this was a part of the trip that I wanted to show the world I actually never met this side of the family what’s up what’s up how was it good good and I just found out one of them is actually like the mayor of Brownstown nice to meet you we go over there we show the belt we take some pictures we meet my I guess one of my great aunties kind of thing something like that his grandmother is my sister this is the first time that you see her Yes actually I think so right I think so yeah first term yeah yeah and they have like this Plaza but they own a Jamaican restaurant over there as well [Music] are you family too yeah my cousins I got an opportunity to make some authentic jerk chicken I can’t even tell you I just know it’s good as hell we cook that so we Jerk it up oh that’s right you hold this side Savvy come here and connecting with family that I haven’t seen or messed that just shows a lot about the people here and obviously family and how they treat and house everybody Hospitality goes a long way good [Music] trip to Jamaica was a huge success from the Charities being a UFC champion been giving a lot more opportunities and a lot more access to help fingers do the work my legs and my body weights seminars [Music] [Applause] to the activities [Music] Jamaica is a very beautiful island I think there’s so much good things for people to experience and such great energy from the people I am grandma with my grandson I’ll eat a whole box of these man all right a whole box of these to myself I don’t think I had more fun on any other trip to be honest God bless Jamaica thank you to everyone who made this trip a huge success thank you for showing us around thank you for the hospitality I think it was just an overall great experience that myself and my teammates are never going to forget Jamaica I will be back [Music]