Aljamain Sterling feels Henry Cejudo should take the T.J. Dillashaw route to work his way to a title shot
Aljamain Sterling recently weighed in on Henry Cejudo's potential comeback into the octagon.
'Triple C' retired from the UFC back in 2020 after a successful bantamweight title defense against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. However, Cejudo's manager Ali Abdelaziz announced earlier this year that 'Triple C' will re-enter the USADA testing pool to make a return to the sport. Since the announcement, the former double champion has been actively advocating for a shot at the bantamweight title in the promotion.
I'm gonna talk to @AliAbdelaziz00 tomorrow about re-entering the USADA pool...
Volkanovski: He's got no competition at FTW after Max
Aljo & TJ: I could beat both those dudes for the title I never lost
It's time for The Return of the King 👑
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In a recent interview with Adam Catterall of BT Sport, Aljamain Sterling gave his thoughts on Cejudo getting a shot at the 135 lbs belt. According to 'The Funkmaster,' 'Triple C' needs to work his way through the division instead of being named as a title contender immediately upon his return.
Sterling asserted that Cejudo must first prove his mettle against other fighters in the division, much like T.J. Dillashaw, before being allowed to compete for UFC gold:
"Henry's been bouncing around. So, for me it's like, 'What have you done for me lately?' you know...I don't think he deserves to just come back and jump right into a title shot...I do think if there's anyone who needs to fight somebody and prove themselves the same way T.J. had to do, it should be Henry Cejudo."
He continued:
"So, I know he is talking and saying all the stuff that he's next. I mean he can make the argument that he could be next but I mean based on what everyone has done while he's just been sitting on the sidelines...I respect him for coming back but I do think the time has passed them and I think he should have to prove himself before just jumping in, just like anybody else."
You can check out the full interview of Aljamain Sterling with Adam Catterall of BT Sport below:
Aljamain Sterling vs. T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280
Aljamain Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw will square off in the co-main event of UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. This will be Aljamain Sterling's second title defense since winning the bantamweight title at UFC 259 in March 2021.
Aljamain Sterling issued a statement after winning the UFC bantamweight title from Petr Yan via disqualification at #UFC259
(via @funkmasterMMA) https://t.co/O3bxjjBPZa
At UFC 280, Sterling has not been defeated since 2018. The fighter has a professional fight record of 21 wins and only two losses.
Meanwhile, T.J. Dillashaw returns to the octagon for the second time since his two-year suspension for PED use. So far in his career, the fighter has had a professional record of 17 wins and four losses.
Aljamain Sterling vs T.J. Dillashaw!!
We're counting down until #UFC280 on Saturday! https://t.co/Fh1iHq0xjw
Things are expected to get interesting between the two in this upcoming title fight. Sterling will try to prove his worth as a champion by defending the gold for the second time. Dillashaw will try to reclaim his belt, which he was stripped of almost three years ago.