5 UFC bantamweights who could potentially dethrone Aljamain Sterling

#2. Henry Cejudo vs. Aljamain Sterling

Could Henry Cejudo dethrone Aljamain Sterling upon his return to the UFC?

While he’s seemingly focused on making a run at the UFC’s featherweight division, namely champion Alexander Volkanovski, upon his return, it’s safe to say that former UFC bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo might stand a chance of beating Aljamain Sterling if the two were to meet.

Prior to his departure from the promotion in 2020, Cejudo reigned over the 135-pound division thanks to his victories over Marlon Moraes and Dominick Cruz. His knockout of former titleholder T.J. Dillashaw, albeit at 125 pounds, also added to his unstoppable aura.

On paper, at least, Cejudo would definitely provide ‘Funk Master’ with a very difficult test. Sterling’s wrestling credentials, even as a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, pale in comparison to Cejudo’s Olympic gold medal. With that said, it’d be unlikely that we’d see ‘Triple C’ put on his back.

On the feet, meanwhile, it’s arguable that Sterling might be the more skilled striker, but based on what we’ve seen of him, it’s also arguable that Cejudo packs more of a punch and could definitely knock ‘Funk Master’ out if he could land cleanly.

Essentially, Cejudo might find securing a shot at the featherweight title tricky right now. However, if he chose to, he could probably claim a shot at Sterling’s bantamweight title right away and there’d definitely be a chance of him winning if he did.

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#1. T.J. Dillashaw vs. Aljamain Sterling

TJ Dillashaw appears to be next in line for Aljamain Sterling

Despite the arguments for Petr Yan warranting another rematch against Aljamain Sterling, it looks like ‘Funk Master’ will be defending his UFC bantamweight title against T.J. Dillashaw in his next bout.

So does Dillashaw stand a chance of dethroning Sterling? There’s certainly a chance that he does. mostly because it looks like he’s guaranteed to fight for the title next, whereas some of the other more dangerous contenders in the division might fall before they reach that point.

Stylistically, Dillashaw should provide Sterling with some difficulty. He’s an excellent wrestler in his own right, with similar amateur credentials to ‘Funk Master’. While it’s unlikely that he’d easily outwrestle the champion, the same could be said in the other direction too.

On the feet, however, Dillashaw is almost certainly the more proven fighter. His combination striking is probably the most impressive that the 135-pound division has to offer right now. Could he knock Sterling out? If he could land cleanly, absolutely.

However, there are questions around the former champion, namely quite how well his cardio will hold up after he was busted for EPO use. While he did impress in his win over Cory Sandhagen, it’s worth noting that ‘Funk Master’ submitted ‘The Sandman’ with ease.

Overall, the fact that Dillashaw seems to be at the front of the queue gives him probably the best shot at dethroning Sterling right now. It’ll be fascinating to see what happens when they clash in the octagon in the near future.