“Did you guys know he has an Olympic gold medal?” Sterling said, deadpan. And as soon as he asked that question, he paused to ask the assembled media his own question.

Sterling is underrated for his wit and his ability on the microphone.

“What better way to do that than on the East Coast, first champion ever from Long Island to defend back home and shock the world once again against another former world champion?” No matter who Sterling thinks the brass may prefer to see win, he’s in control of what happens. Nothing else will matter other than who the better fighter is. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)īut things will change on Saturday when the cage door shuts behind him and Cejudo. And it dawned on him that it might not have been all about just him earning the top spot on the card.Īljamain Sterling wears the title belt after defeating TJ Dillashaw at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Oct. Sterling is where he is, though, not just because he’s a physical talent, which of course he is, but also because he’s a shrewd young man. “Well, that actually is pretty damn cool and it does feel good.” “I never really cared about the main event spot until I saw it like this ,” Sterling said Wednesday at UFC 288 media day. This is the main event as much for the fact that Cejudo is coming out of a three-year retirement as it is for the New York City area fans to get a chance to see Sterling fight in person.

Sterling is nothing if not a realist, though, and he hasn’t been fooled. Being the champion and being high on the pound-for-pound rankings is a big part of it, but being the last to walk on a major pay-per-view also is a huge part of it. That hasn’t always been Sterling, and so it’s why it’s been a long time coming for him to be recognized for his skills. UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (in the papaka), is eager to meet former champion Henry Cejudo on Saturday in the main event of UFC 288 in Newark, New Jersey.

Sterling by Emily June Street