A bantamweight title bout pitting reigning champ Aljamain
Sterling in opposition to Henry
Cejudo has been focused for UFC 288 on Might 6.
A number of shops confirmed the reserving after Sterling introduced it
on his podcast. The Might 6 date hasn’t been formally introduced by
the promotion, however it’s anticipated to be a pay-per-view occasion.
Sterling and Cejudo had been initially rumored to fulfill earlier this
12 months, however “The Funkmaster”
revealed that he would want extra time to heal from a torn
bicep, placing that timeline on maintain. UFC 288 doesn’t have a
location or venue.
“I can’t look ahead to this matchup, as a result of I feel that it’s two guys
that received’t again down, and I feel the wrestling may cancel every
different out – we are going to see if I’m in a position to rag-doll him,” Sterling stated
on Monday. “We’re going to determine it out within the first 5 minutes,
and from there, we’ll work out if we need to waste a ton of
vitality grappling, or will we need to put these [our fists] to the
check and present the world what high-level grapplers can really do
in relation to putting.
“I do know you guys had been impressed with [Kamaru] Usman vs. Colby
Covington, that was a striker’s delight, and I might not be
stunned if this combat is strictly the identical method.”
Sterling is coming off a second-round TKO of T.J.
Dillashaw in a bantamweight title protection at UFC 280 this previous
October. The Serra-Longo Struggle Group member has received eight
consecutive bouts in UFC competitors, a run that features triumphs
over the likes of Petr Yan
(twice), Cory
Sandhagen, Pedro
Munhoz and Jimmie
Rivera.
A former title holder at each flyweight and bantamweight, Cejudo
has not competed since a second-round TKO of Dominick
Cruz at UFC 249 in Might 2020. The Olympic gold medalist
introduced his retirement after the victory, relinquishing his
135-pound belt within the course of. Cejudo has received six straight bouts
courting again to September 2017, a run that options victories
in opposition to Marlon
Moraes, Dillashaw, Demetrious
Johnson and Sergio
Pettis.
