Aljamain Sterling successfully defended his bantamweight title once again against the former champion Henry Cejudo in a closely contested fight. Sterling surprised everyone in the opening round by taking down Cejudo, who had only been taken down twice before in his UFC career. Despite the close fight, Sterling emerged as the victor, putting an end to all the doubters. Commentators were discussing how close the fight was at the end, but Sterling proved his worth and retained his belt.
Sterling was the dominant fighter in the first round, but Cejudo started to get better in the second round. However, in the third round, Sterling took down Cejudo again and got his back. This proved to be a decisive moment in the fight, as Sterling gained the upper hand and ultimately won the fight. Sterling’s natural body reach and size gave him a clear advantage, and he had the edge in significant strikes. It was surprising to see how easily Sterling handled takedowns from the Olympic gold medalist wrestler Cejudo.
In addition to defending his title, Sterling now has another feather in his cap. He has become the second bantamweight fighter in UFC history to defend his title four times, behind only TJ Dillashaw with five title defenses. Sterling’s impressive record and performance prove that he is a force to be reckoned with in the bantamweight division. His skill and natural abilities make him a formidable opponent for anyone who crosses his path.
Conor McGregor and Fans React to Aljamain Sterling’s Win
Fans and fighters across the globe were watching the event. They made their opinion public on Twitter. Here’s what they had to say:
Conor McGregor was quite happy with the Aljamain Sterling win.
Mastermind stuff hahaha
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 7, 2023
Ariel Helwani talks about that Henry Cejudo post fight interview:
Henry Cejudo: this may be the last time you see me in the Octagon.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 7, 2023
He also thought that Sterling was the winner:
I think it’s 3-1 Sterling heading into the fifth.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 7, 2023
This Sean O’Malley Tweet didn’t age well:
Henry plz win so I can beat the fuck out of you
— Sean O’Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) May 6, 2023
Israel Adesanya approves Sterling win:
Munchkin 🐿️ pic.twitter.com/1n7DcX4BKa
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) May 5, 2023
Merab donning O’Malley’s jacket during the post fight face off:
Merab put on O’Malley’s jacket 😭 #UFC288 pic.twitter.com/1dH5inwJWz
— UFC (@ufc) May 7, 2023
McGregor wins his bet on Sterling:
Easiest money I’ve ever made. Not a scratch on Aljo! Congrats Funkmaster! Good little fighter is Henry but give it a rest with these agendas all the time. The guy is sub 20 fights in his career. His little feints an all ahaha omg please teach me mastermind lol. Done the splits…
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 7, 2023