"This gets me excited" - A hyped-up Aljamain Sterling reacts to fanmade T.J. Dillashaw UFC compilation
While reacting to a fanmade compilation of T.J. Dillashaw's best moments with the UFC, Aljamain Sterling shared his excitement ahead of their scheduled bout at UFC 280.
'Funk Master' is preparing to make his second defense of the bantamweight title on October 22, but must first get past arguably his toughest test in the cage to date. The fighter of Jamaican descent managed to capture and retain his strap in back-to-back brawls with long-term rival Petr Yan.
In response to a fan who posted a collection of T.J. Dillashaw's greatest memories inside the octagon, Aljamain Sterling seemingly took encouragement from the clip, making him pumped for their thrilling encounter later this year.
This gets me excited!! twitter.com/powerfulcre/st…
Dillashaw enters the title fight with just one win since 2018, but his footwork, unique movement, and ability to compete wherever the brawl takes place makes him a threat to the champion. Despite being flagged by USADA for using illegal substances, the 36-year-old is considered by some to be the greatest ever 135lber.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the former two-time bantamweight titleholder claimed the current champion 'is not a dangerous fighter' and expects to walk out with the belt following their clash.
Win or lose, what's next for Aljamain Sterling?
Aljamain Sterling proved many people wrong when he was able to earn a decision victory over Petr Yan earlier this year, but what's next for him after his fight with T.J. Dillashaw?
If the 33-year-old is able to retain his bantamweight throne, rumors are suggesting that Jose Aldo—if he's able to bypass the threat of Merab Dvalishvili later this month—could be next in line for a shot at UFC gold.
However, if the Brazilian is unsuccessful in his push for a chance to face the 135lb champion, we could see the winner of the highly-anticipated war between Petr Yan and Sean O'Malley make a claim for a title shot.
Losing to T.J. Dillashaw could mean a huge change for Aljamain Sterling's career in the sport. In the past, 'Aljo' has insisted he'd move up in weight and allow his good friend and training partner, Merab Dvalishvili, to fight for the strap and potentially make history in the UFC for fighters from Georgia.
A move up to featherweight may seem like an interesting proposition, but just like the 135lb weightclass, it is an incredibly stacked division with a large number of high-level competitors all vying for a chance to capture the championship.