When reigning bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling faced off against the returning Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, fight fans hoped to finally settle the debate over the best 135-pound in the world.
Cejudo, a former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion, hadn’t made the walk to the octagon since his win over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020. Immediately after, the former Olympic champion announced his retirement from competition.
But welcoming him back on Saturday was the red-hot Sterling, who entered his title defense on the verge of setting several UFC records.
Check out how the rest of Sterling’s fellow fighters reacted to his victory inside the Prudential Center in New Jersey below.
Aljamain Sterling defeats Henry Cejudo
Easiest money I’ve ever made. Not a scratch on Aljo! Congrats Funkmaster! Good little fighter is Henry but give it a rest with these agendas all the time. The guy is sub 20 fights in his career. His little feints an all ahaha omg please teach me mastermind lol. Done the splits…
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 7, 2023
4-1 I had it also. https://t.co/5qITvrofXD
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 7, 2023
Nice Bantamweight scrap!!! #Ufc288
— Raphael Assuncao (@RaphaAssuncao) May 7, 2023
That was a great fight and coulda went either way. Good win by the champ #kogang #ufc288
— Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) May 7, 2023
I love it it’s heated!!!! @ufc
— Brian Ortega (@BrianTcity) May 7, 2023
♀️ ♀️ ♀️
— Marion Reneau (@BelizeanBruiser) May 7, 2023
Save the talking gentlemen! #UFC288Live pic.twitter.com/6BH09U0TT0
I like angry Sterling @funkmasterMMA #ufc288
— Javid Basharat (@JavidBasharat) May 7, 2023
Close fight but that decision was #UFC288
— Joe Joe Giannetti (@Giannettimma) May 7, 2023
I’m a 135er myself but they ain’t ready for volk. 135 is open
— Trev5starjones.eth (@TrevinAJones) May 7, 2023
Incredibly close fight to score. I had Cejudo but definitely wouldn't want to be a judge for that one
— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) May 7, 2023
Gotta respect Sterling as a competitor! #UFC288
Win or lose, champion or not that’s my mentor, my brother, my family love you bro @HenryCejudo
— Tracy Cortez’s ERA (@TracyCortezmma) May 7, 2023
Merab “Houdini” Dvalishvili too quick . This man had O'Malley’s jacket on in 5 seconds #UFC288 pic.twitter.com/aW8ZdNhI1E
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) May 7, 2023
Morab with the jacket on lmao #ufc288
— KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) May 7, 2023
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