Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo Being Worked on For UFC 288

Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo Being Worked on For UFC 288

Abdullah Ouazri|
October 25, 2022|
2

The UFC is looking to make Henry Cejudo's return to mixed martial arts against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 on May 6th, per Sterling via his YouTube channel.

This 5-round title fight takes place in the Bantamweight (135 lbs) division.

Aljamain Sterling is the UFC Bantamweight champion and holds a professional record of 22-3. His notable wins include TJ Dillashaw, Petr Yan, and Cory Sandhagen.

Henry Cejudo is the former UFC Flyweight and Bantamweight champion and holds a professional record of 16-2. His notable wins include Demetrius Johnson, Dominick Cruz, and TJ Dillashaw.

Current Odds: Aljamain Sterling -110, Henry Cejudo -110, per Caesars.com

This fight has been brewing since early 2021 when Sterling first won the title. The two have had multiple face-offs, social media scuffles, and even met up for a podcast inside Cejudo’s home.

Aljamain Sterling readies for his 2nd title defense. Credits to: Craig Kidwell-USA TODAY Sports
Aljamain Sterling readies for his 2nd title defense. Credits to: Craig Kidwell-USA TODAY Sports

Sterling fought last at UFC 280 where he made short work of TJ Dillashaw. He finished him with ground and pound in the 2nd round after landing 148 strikes to 13. There was controversy surrounding the win, however as Dillashaw dislocated his shoulder early in the fight. He told fans that it completely blew in April of this year and that he must’ve dislocated it at least 20 times in training.

His teammate Cub Swanson revealed that just weeks out from the fight, TJ was completely unable to lift his arm during training or his daily life. Sterling’s win is extremely impressive and will become a large part of his legacy, but it will always be marred by controversy.

Henry Cejudo last fought at UFC 249 in May 2020 where he defeated Dominick Cruz by knockout in the 2nd round. Following the win, Cejudo retired from MMA as the Bantamweight champion of the world.

Henry Cejudo knocks out Dominick Cruz in round 2. Credits to: Jasen Vinlove, USA TODAY Sports
Henry Cejudo knocks out Dominick Cruz in round 2. Credits to: Jasen Vinlove, USA TODAY Sports

His incredible resume in the sport is perhaps topped only by his Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling. He competed at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and became the youngest-ever gold medalist in his category.

Cejudo has cemented himself as an all-time great in the sport and Sterling is on the way to doing so. A win for either man would catapult their legacies to another level.

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