5 reasons why Henry Cejudo is a tougher opponent for Aljamain Sterling than T.J. Dillashaw

#2. Cejudo has better fight IQ than T.J. Dillashaw

T.J. Dillashaw is a highly skilled mixed martial artist whose layered striking is among the best the UFC has ever seen. However, his approach to fights does not vary as he seeks to implement his primary game regardless of the tools presented by his opponent. While Cejudo, and every other fighter, aims to do the same, Cejudo himself adjusts mid-fight to his foe's tendencies.

As mentioned earlier, Cejudo abandoned his wide karate stance against Marlon Moraes after being punished with low kicks and resorted to pressure boxing to force Moraes onto the backfoot. In another example of Cejudo's fight IQ, not only did Cejudo feint punches to draw Dominick Cruz's attention to his hands to land strong low kicks designed to slow Cruz's constant movement, but he also punished Cruz's tendency to exit out of exchanges by ducking at angles, timing him with a knee as Cruz ducked in.

Should Cejudo fight Sterling, he will likely use his experience and IQ to make reads and adjust accordingly in real-time during the course of the fight, eventually taking away Sterling's advantages.

---

#1. Henry Cejudo's cardio

Henry Cejudo does not tire. His experience with Olympic training methods always ensures that he steps into the octagon with optimal conditioning. He went five rounds with former UFC flyweight champion and current ONE flyweight world grand prix champion Demetrious Johnson in a fast-paced bout.

While Aljamain Sterling has good cardio, he is prone to gassing out when trying to ward off an opponent's pressure.

If Cejudo implements his pressure boxing against him, forcing Sterling to throw a spree of kicks, it'll likely diminish the reigning champion's cardio and enable Cejudo to take over the fight.