Aljamain Sterling claims Henry Cejudo isn't the same fighter he was before MMA sabbatical   

Aljamain Sterling is the reigning UFC bantamweight champion. Despite his status as the promotion's 135 lbs kingpin, 'Funk Master' has not earned the respect of his peers despite now having two successful title defenses under his belt. His latest challenger is Henry Cejudo, who he will face at UFC 288.

While 'Triple C' is confident in his chances, Sterling has expressed his doubts about his opponent's readiness. In an interview with Megan Olivi on ESPN MMA, he openly questioned whether Cejudo had lost a step. While he acknowledged that his foe is training hard, he wonders if his opponent's hiatus has affected him.

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Aljamain Sterling expressed his lack of confidence in seeing the same Henry Cejudo that fought three years ago. He posited that the speed, reaction time, and strength that fans are accustomed to seeing from 'Triple C' might be absent by the time the pair clash inside the octagon:

"I know he's putting in a lot of serious work, but I don't know if he's going to be Henry Cejudo of three years ago. The same speed, the same strength. He might be a little bit slower. His reaction time might be a little bit slower."

While Aljamain Sterling understands that Henry Cejudo's high-level wrestling skills deserve respect, he also made it a point to remind 'Triple C' that their upcoming matchup will not be a wrestling bout:

"This isn't a freestyle wrestling match. This is a fist fight with top and bottom control, where I get a wrist, I take him down, and I put the hooks in, that fight's as good as over. I'm going to have his little legs... when I put the hooks in, and I get that high mount on him and his little legs are dangling and kicking in the air, it's going to be the funniest little thing. I can't wait, like, I envision this, like, he thinks his Olympic gold medal's going to save him, but we'll see."

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Aljamain Sterling's unconventional title run

Aljamain Sterling has struggled to earn fans' respect despite his championship status. He first captured UFC bantamweight gold under unique circumstances at UFC 259 after Petr Yan was disqualified for illegally hitting 'Funk Master' with a knee while he was a grounded opponent.

Fans and even Yan himself accused Sterling of milking the effects of the blow to try and win a fight he was losing. His subsequent title defense against 'No Mercy' was marred by the absence of Yan's usual corner, which gave fans a built-in excuse to discredit his win.

Lastly, his recent win over T.J. Dillashaw was overshadowed by his foe's badly injured shoulder popping out of its socket during the bout.