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Reigning UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has insinuated that his next title defense could witness him face Marlon Vera. Sterling's insinuation comes at a time when rumors are rife that he could defend his title against former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo next.
Aljamain Sterling's most recent fight saw him notch another successful title defense. 'Funk Master' secured a second-round TKO victory over former bantamweight kingpin T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280 in October 2022.
During the UFC 280 post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White suggested that Sterling could fight Cejudo next. However, the Sterling-Cejudo matchup hasn't been officially announced by the UFC. It's still unclear as to who 'Funk Master' will defend his title against.
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Meanwhile, the No. 4-ranked UFC bantamweight Marlon 'Chito' Vera lambasted Aljamain Sterling for purportedly cutting massive amounts of weight for his fights. Speaking to Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith, 'Chito' recently claimed that Sterling cuts to the 135-pound bantamweight limit from 170-180 pounds and gets a significant weight advantage over his opponents.
Vera indicated that while Sterling does boast a size advantage, the massive weight cuts adversely affect his durability and make him susceptible to being knocked out. Not one to be outdone, Sterling fired back at Vera. 'Funk Master' alluded to the fact that he's been knocked out just once — stopped by a thunderous knee that could've rendered anyone unconscious.
Furthermore, taking to his official Twitter account, Sterling appears to have issued another response to Vera's jibes regarding his weight. The New York native teased that he's preparing for a fight against Vera and referenced the weight-cutting topic with a rather peculiar hashtag in his tweet. Sterling's tweet read as follows:
"Getting ready for @chitoveraUFC ! #JiuJitsu #TooMuchWeight #HappyNewYear #AndStill"
When Aljamain Sterling lauded potential future opponent Marlon Vera for his grappling prowess
Since his loss to MMA great Jose Aldo in December 2020, Marlon Vera has wreaked havoc in the UFC bantamweight division. 'Chito' has amassed a four-fight win streak, comprising impressive victories over Davey Grant, former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, Rob Font, and former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.
Vera last competed in August 2022 and spectacularly defeated Cruz via fourth-round KO. Considering the aforementioned variables at play, many in the MMA community subsequently lobbied for Vera to be accorded the next title shot against Aljamain Sterling.
Speaking of which, in October 2022, Sterling seemingly concurred with a fan who tweeted that he ought to fight Vera someday. Praising 'Chito' for his grappling skills on the mat and against the octagon fence, Sterling tweeted:
"Cheetos would be a hell of a fight I think. Guy can grapple off his back and against the cage well."
