UFC 288 LIVE: Cejudo vs Sterling updates and results
Re-live updates as Cejudo returned to challenge Sterling after three years away
Aljamain Sterling retained the UFC bantamweight title against Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, as the latter failed to regain the belt after three years away.
Cejudo retired from MMA in 2020, moments after retaining the title, which he previously held alongside the flyweight belt. Sterling, 33, went on to win the gold in 2021 and retained it twice thereafter, and the Jamaican-American put it on the line again in the main event of UFC 288.
American Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, emerged from retirement in an attempt to reclaim the bantamweight strap, and a future shot at the featherweight title was also on the 36-year-old’s radar.
However, Cejudo fell at the first hurdle, losing a split decision to Sterling after five competitive rounds in New Jersey.
Re-live updates below. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos.
UFC 288 LIVE - Sterling vs Cejudo
Round 2
Cejudo almost tags Sterling with a fierce overhand.
Great head movement from Cejudo throughout the fight so far. Sterling jabs to the body.
The champion is just out of range of a head kick from Cejudo.
UFC 288 LIVE - Sterling vs Cejudo
Round 2
Sterling utilises the forward pressure that he’s known for. Lots of leg kicks by the champion.
Cejudo throws some of his own. Sterling’s height advantage is such that his body kicks almost catch Cejudo in the head.
Now Cejudo grazes Sterling with a head kick, though! Nice knee to the body by Sterling.
UFC 288 LIVE - Sterling vs Cejudo
Round 1
That’s just the second time ever that Cejudo has been taken down in the UFC.
Sterling takes the back, but Cejudo defends well late in the round.
A great start by Cejudo; a strong finish for Sterling. Very competitive round.
UFC 288 LIVE - Sterling vs Cejudo
Round 1
Cejudo holds Sterling by the neck in north-south position, putting pressure on that surgically-repaired area.
Sterling is eventually able to stand, and the bantamweights trade punches.
Again Cejudo grapples Sterling and holds him in north-south. Sterling stands once more and looks for a single-leg takedown against the fence.
“Henry” is the chant from the crowd in Sterling’s home state...
Sterling drags Cejudo down against the cage wall now!
UFC 288 LIVE - Sterling vs Cejudo
Round 1
Sterling with a series of leg kicks early on. He jumps in with a knee to close range, but Cejudo circles away.
Cejudo seems content to just get some reads in, rather than throw anything at the moment.
Cejudo dodges a knee and grabs ahold of Sterling, using the body lock to drag the champion to the canvas with ease.
UFC 288 LIVE - Sterling vs Cejudo
Cejudo is now in a similar situation to that of Cruz three years ago, but if anyone can counteract the effects of age and absence, “Triple C” can. Against a prime Sterling, he will have to.
UFC 288 LIVE - Sterling vs Cejudo
Cejudo, now 36, prefers a slower approach. “Triple C” – as he calls himself, due to his two UFC championships and one Olympic title – operates out of a Karate stance, switching between orthodox and southpaw at will, biding his time to perceive and pry into openings. The width of a Karate stance has its disadvantages, mainly the heavy front-foot weighting that Moraes exploited early on against Cejudo, but the American’s height – or lack thereof, at 5ft3in – compensates to a degree. So do his ring IQ (perhaps unrivalled) and resilience, both of which he demonstrated to turn the tide against Moraes.
Those kinds of assets do not wane with time or absence from the ring; Cejudo will count on that in New Jersey on Saturday, for there will be questions around the more susceptible elements of a fighter’s skill set, such as speed, strength, and punch resistance. Cruz, game as he was, exhibited in his defeat by Cejudo how those assets can deplete.
UFC 288 LIVE - Sterling vs Cejudo
Sterling is now unbeaten since December 2017 and has won eight straight fights. While “Funk Master” is most respected for his grappling and submissions, he also benefits from a creative striking approach, which he chains to his wrestling via suffocating forward pressure. His wrestling, one would suspect, will be neutralised by that of Cejudo, however, especially with the Olympian having only been taken down once in 12 UFC fights.
UFC 288 LIVE - Sterling vs Cejudo
It was Petr Yan who won the vacant belt after Cejudo’s retirement, beating featherweight legend Jose Aldo, before losing the title to Sterling via an illegal knee. While Yan was at fault for the deflating finish to a fight that he was winning, fans directed their scorn at Sterling, rather than the Russian. Many expected and wished for a Yan victory in his rematch with the Jamaican-American 13 months later, but Sterling – fresh off major neck surgery – implemented his grappling prowess to outpoint the striking specialist.
Again, inexplicably, fans sided against Sterling when Dillashaw looked to regain the gold from Sterling in October, despite the American’s recent two-year ban for using EPO – an injectable, performance-enhancing drug, for which he tested positive after losing to Cejudo. After being dominated by Sterling for the best part of two rounds, Dillashaw suffered a TKO loss and revealed that he had suffered a dislocated shoulder in the fight – and that he had battled that injury repeatedly throughout camp.
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