UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is waylaid by a bicep injury for the moment, but he expects to return to action sooner than later. Sterling recently told The Schmo that his next target is dispatching former champion Henry Cejudo, and after that potentially moving up to the featherweight division.
“‘Triple Zero’ is next. 110 percent, he’s next. It’s not going to be April though. After talking with my medical team and the doctors, we’re going to give myself a little bit more time. It’s going to be May. It’s kind of crazy how everything kind of comes full circle. After the fight, I knew I had these injuries coming into the fight, before the rematch with [Petr] Yan, then the T.J. [Dillashaw] fight kind of kicked the can down the road. Then I knew bioXccelerators are going to be very good.
Sterling Promises Cejudo Fight in May, Teases Featherweight Move
I’m very optimistic about that and I think it’s going to get me back to 100 percent so I can compete against a tough competitor like Triple Zero and remind him that he should have stayed retired.”
Sterling has been very open about his bicep injury, which might present an issue in pursuing a title defense. Could Henry Cejudo target his injured arm? Let us know in the comments.
“It doesn’t matter what he’s got going on. I’m going to show up the way I show up. He’s knows what’s bothering me already. I’m going to get it as close to 100 percent as I can, the same way I’ve gone out there for my last two fights and the same way I’ve gone out there before almost every single fight.
A fighter [who] goes out there is never 100 percent. We try to make sure we’re as healthy as possible. It’s no different for T.J., it’s no different for Cejudo, Petr Yan, it doesn’t matter who you are. You step into that cage, you make the choice to sign on the dotted line, pretty much you seal your fate. So whatever happens, let the best man win, and I feel like that best man is always going to be me.”
Sterling, who recently dispatched T.J. Dillashaw, expects to finish Cejudo, and after that move into another weight class.
“I could see a second-round finish, TKO, and after I finish Henry Cejudo, I really don’t think the bantamweight division has anything left for me.
Maybe a money fight with Sean O’Malley, if he can get his toenails in order and make sure he stays pretty on the sideline and healthy, doesn’t want to fight anyone tough at the top of the division, because he needs more time to get ready for the grappling. And I understand.
We’d probably just run through him right now. So maybe that fight might entice me, or I’m probably just going to go up 145 and let Merab [Dvalishvili] to reign terror on the rest of these guys in the bantamweight division.”
