In the main event of UFC 288, Henry Cejudo made his return against champion Aljamain Sterling. And the ‘Funk Master’ won by split decision.
Round 1: Quickly, Henry Cejudo validates a takedown on his opponent. In an unfavorable position on the ground, the ‘Funk Master’ manages to free himself and send good shots to the body on Cejudo. The latter returns to fight again but is countered by the excellent jiu-jitsu of Aljamain Sterling. In the process, the champion validates a takedown on the Olympic wrestling medalist, then controls his back.
Round 2: Sterling continues his formidable body work on Cejudo. For his part, ‘Triple C’ relies on high kicks to destabilize the champion. Standing, Cejudo tries to frame his opponent but is surprised by big kicks to the body launched by Aljo. Hostilities take place mainly in striking.
Round 3: Henry Cejudo attempts a jump knee and takes the opportunity to wrestle… Sterling reverses the trend and gets the best of ‘Triple C’ by blocking him against the cage. From a standing position, the Olympic wrestling champion validates a magnificent takedown on the ‘Funk Master’ at the end of the recovery.
Round 4: Henry Cejudo tries to put pressure on Aljamain Sterling, and keeps the center of the octagon. The former flyweight champion seems to have started, and ends the round in an unfavorable position.
Round 5: ‘Triple C’ takes a lot of blows and Sterling tries to enter the fight. Cejudo validates a new takedown but still can’t hold his opponent down…
Victory of Aljamain Sterling over Henry Cejudo by split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47).
For his return to competition, Henry Cejudo bows after a close fight, and misses out on the bantamweight title. He now has a 16-3 record in MMA, and left doubts hanging over his career.
For his part, Sterling defended his belt brilliantly, and called Sean O’Malley for a one-on-one in the cage after the fight. The two men have heated up, and they should face each other next September to settle their accounts.
