Aljamain Sterling has dealt with his share of haters in the two years since he became the UFC bantamweight champion, and his coach expects that to continue whether he wins or loses his next fight.
Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) will look to make his third consecutive title defense when he takes on former dual champ Henry Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in the UFC 288 main event on May 6 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
Sterling, 33, first won the 135-pound title in March 2021 thanks to an illegal knee that caused then-champ Petr Yan to be disqualified in a fight he was winning. Fans took exception to the manner in which Sterling became champion and let him hear about it on social media.
