Will he finally earn respect? Criticised champion beats a legend and breaks UFC record

UFC 288 offered an anticipated title fight. Probably the least respected and recognized champion Aljamain Sterling faced a formidable challenge, with returning former champion and the man known as Triple C, Henry Cejudo, standing in his way.

Being a UFC champion is a big deal, it’s just that Aljamain Sterling certainly doesn’t enjoy the respect he deserves. He lost the title after Peter Yan illegally hit him in the head with a knee and did not continue the fight.

In the rematch, however, Sterling was able to deliver the first successful defense when he won by split-decision. Deservedly so, it must be said. He followed that up with a win over TJ Dillashaw, but he came in with a “throwing” shoulder and paid the price.

Now the thirty-three year old fighter faced a legend in Henry Cejudo. Triple C returned three years after he retired. But the Olympic champion didn’t slack off during his hiatus, staying in the business and devoting himself mainly to coaching big stars.

Jiri Prochazka, for example, briefly prepared for his title fight with Cejudo, and Weili Zhang came to the belt thanks to him. In short, this is a man with whom it is definitely not a pleasure to go into the cage.

But Sterling showed why he is a champion right from the first round. While he certainly didn’t put in his best performance of his career, he was more active, gave away a lot more punches and didn’t look bad in the clinch or on the ground, quite the opposite.

There is no consensus on how the fight should be scored. However, many fans did not want Sterling to win, hence the reactions on social media. However, Cejudo himself acknowledged his opponent’s qualities after the fight.

However, there is a good percentage who don’t think the fight should have ended in a split-decision. For example, Conor McGregor revealed that he thought Sterling won four rounds right away. And he’s certainly not alone in that opinion.

Furthermore, Sterling has hit a major milestone. He is the first man ever to successfully defend the bantamweight belt three times. In addition, he has four title wins, only the aforementioned Dillashaw (5 title wins) has more.

Sterling will probably have a chance to equal Dillashaw later this year. For Sean O’Malley has arrived in the cage behind him and will be looking to strip him of the belt after destroying Yano in an unexpectedly dominant fashion.

Source: UFC