Aljamain Sterling set to defend title against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is next set to defend his title against former champ Henry Cejudo at UFC 288.
Sterling and Cejudo have been linked to a title fight against each other for months now, and finally, we will see it this spring. Sterling himself revealed the news on the latest edition of his podcast (h/t MMAjunkie.com), confirming the date of the fight is set for May 6, though he didn’t name the location.
Sterling (22-3) is coming off eight straight wins, including a vicious TKO victory over TJ Dillashaw in his last fight. Sterling also beat Petr Yan twice before that, and he also has big wins over the likes of Cory Sandhagen, Pedro Munhoz, and Cody Stamann in his win streak. Overall, Sterling is a really good fighter and he has proved his worth as a champion, and a win over Cejudo would be huge for his resume.
Cejudo (16-2) was last seen in the Octagon in May 2020 when he finished Dominick Cruz. He is currently riding a six-fight win streak and he is the one who vacated his belt due to retiring from the sport. It will be interesting to see how he looks in his return to the Octagon after such a long time away from the cage. But if anyone can come back and become a great fighter it’s someone of the pedigree of Cejudo.
Overall, this should be a fantastic fight between two of the best grapplers we have ever seen in the UFC bantamweight division. Sterling has obviously been far more active in recent years, but Cejudo is a much different challenge for him due to his incredible wrestling skills. While Sterling is currently slightly favored at -120 according to the betting odds, Cejudo is getting plenty of respect back as a short +100 underdog. We can likely expect close odds like this up until we see the fight between these two figures come May 6.
Who do you think wins the UFC bantamweight title at UFC 288, Aljamain Sterling or Henry Cejudo?
