Since June of 2020, Aljamain Sterling has fought four times.
Despite more than a modicum of controversy along the way, Sterling went undefeated during that stretch. It included two defenses of the UFC bantamweight championship, equaling as many as any former champ in the division.
During that same timeframe, Henry Cejudo did not fight. The former bantamweight champ, flyweight champ, and Olympic gold medalist was retired, and he rested and rehabbed lingering injuries. Yet retirement was quick for Cejudo. The 36-year-old is back, and he challenges Sterling for the bantamweight title this Saturday in the main event of UFC 288.
One particular question hovers above this bout. Did Cejudo gain an unfair advantage by removing himself from the USADA testing pool?
“I wouldn’t put it past Henry to have taken advantage of his three-year downtime and two years out of the testing pool,” says Sterling. “I don’t know if I can call it cheating–I don’t know if I can call it an advantage, either.
“He had a break. I’ve been in the trenches. I’ve got my advantages of being active, he’s got his advantages from being off. Nobody was waking him up at six or seven in the morning to test him. It’s hard to answer that one without people saying I’m making an excuse, but it would be naive not to consider it, that Henry would take advantage of an opportunity when he was no longer subjected to any of these protocols.”
Sterling (22-3) has his work cut out for him. Cejudo (16-2) is a world-class grappler. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, he became the youngest American to ever win gold in wrestling. While Sterling has overcome some difficult opponents, Cejudo represents an altogether different caliber. This would mark a monumental win for Sterling; not only would he set the record for most bantamweight title defenses, a victory against Cejudo would elevate him to an even higher level of notoriety in the sport.
“We’ll find out who the better man is,” says Sterling. “Whatever he’s done, only him and God can answer those questions. I’m going to go out there and prove my work is good enough to get it done.”
Although Sterling has not competed against Cejudo, he has faced similar types of opponents.
“In terms of his style, I’ve fought guys like him but bigger,” says Sterling. “Jimmie Rivera, Cody Stamann, Pedro Munhoz. Those are big strong tanks and more natural bantamweights. The only difference is the wrestling background. Pedro was a little bit of grappling, but there was a lot of stand-up in that fight. The Jimmie Rivera fight was all standup. So I’ve fought guys like him, but it’s a different animal with Henry–he has a gold medal.”
Mutual opponents include TJ Dillashaw, who both defeated, and Marlon Moraes–who defeated Sterling but lost to Cejudo.
“He fought [Dominick] Cruz on short notice, TJ was a shell of himself [at 125 pounds], and the Marlon Moraes fight, he dug deep,” says Sterling. “He beat Demetrious Johnson in a very close fight, and a lot of people thought Demetrious won. We’ve got similarities in that regard–a lot of people don’t give us the respect we deserve.
“Henry talks a lot of sh-- from the sideline, I talk a lot sh--, too, but I’m actively competing. Instead of seeing whose YouTube video breakdowns are better, we’ll see who can do it better.”
If Sterling wins, all signs point to him either making one more title defense against Sean O’Malley or moving weight classes and competing at featherweight. The potential would then exist for a showdown pitting Sterling against Alexander Volkanovski, which would be an incredible fight. The transition to featherweight would provide a whole new slate of opponents, as well as minimize the amount of weight Sterling needs to cut before a fight.
“I just need to make sure that I’ll be big enough to compete with those guys,” says Sterling. “It’s one thing to go up a weight, but it’s another to do it the proper way. You need the strength and conditioning to go with those guys.
“There are going to be a lot of challenges at that weight class. It’s going to be completely new. I’ll need to analyze from a different lens. There is a lot of excitement in that weight class. But I’m taking it one fight at a time. We’ll see how this one goes, and then I can make a decision. As of right now, I’m focused solely on beating Henry Cejudo. He has my full attention.”
Sterling and Cejudo are chasing history at UFC 288. Defeating Cejudo would catapult Sterling to a higher plane of stardom. While there is a history of Sterling not receiving full credit after a win–which was legitimate after defeating Dillashaw, who entered their fight injured last October–this would represent a career-defining win.
“It’s a great opportunity for both of us,” says Sterling. “This isn’t a not a short-notice fight, we’ve both had full camps.
“My record speaks for itself. My performances speak for themselves. This is another big name, another tough competitor, and I need to go out there and do what I do best.”
Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.
