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UFC 288 signals the return of Henry Cejudo. The Olympic gold medalist will face Aljamain Sterling in a bid to reclaim his bantamweight throne. Meanwhile, 'Triple C' will be the third former champion that 'Funk Master' is tasked with turning away. The previous two were TJ Dillashaw and Petr Yan.
Their bout will be an interesting style clash between two men who have evolved greatly as fighters, especially the former two-division titleholder. Numerous questions hang in the air when it comes to their matchup. How will Henry Cejudo perform after a three-year retirement from the sport?
Furthermore, does Aljamain Sterling possess the grappling prowess necessary to drag such a credentialed wrestler to the mat and choke him out? This list covers five possible ways that their scheduled matchup could turn out.
#5. Henry Cejudo and Aljamain Sterling's grappling skills cancel each other out
Henry Cejudo is by far the most credentialed wrestler when compared to Aljamain Sterling. The former two-division champion is an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, while 'Funk Master' has never surpassed the NCAA Division III level of wrestling. That, however, doesn't mean he can't grapple with Cejudo.
While 'Triple C' has a deeper arsenal of takedowns and trips, Sterling is a superior ground fighter with better grappling skills on the mat. Thus, their respective skill sets might cancel each other out. Cejudo might succeed in securing takedowns due to his superior wrestling acumen.
In contrast, Sterling's deeper grappling skill set on the mat could not only prevent his foe from taking advantage of the situation on the mat but even create openings for submissions. Thus, the bout could feature minimal grappling.
#4. Aljamain Sterling out-grapples Henry Cejudo
Much of Henry Cejudo's grappling revolves around his wrestling. His Brazilian jiu-jitsu isn't up to par. He doesn't do much on the mat other than use heavy top pressure and rudimentary guard passes. His defensive grappling is similar, especially when he's countering takedowns.
Like most wrestlers in the UFC, 'Triple C' has a tendency to turn onto his stomach and get on all fours to stand up. The risk of doing so is that it exposes his back. Doing so against Aljamain Sterling would be a recipe for disaster given how predatory 'Funk Master' can be in backpacking his foes.
If Cejudo exposes his back often while defending takedowns during the entire fight, he may very well end up spending rounds with Sterling on his back. It was a predicament that befell Petr Yan in the Russian's rematch against 'Funk Master'.
#3. Henry Cejudo outstrikes Aljamain Sterling
The most prominent element of Henry Cejudo's evolution is his adoption of Shotokan karate as his primary striking style. Prior to discovering his love for the Japanese martial art, 'Triple C' was a classic boxer-wrestler who favored his right hand to do the deed against taller foes.
Upon evolving as a fighter, he adopted a wider, more bladed stance. As he stands almost sideward with his feet far apart, he can dart forward and backward with exceptional speed. He frustrates his foes by darting forward with combinations before gliding backward as they try to counter him.
Eventually, his foes make the decision to either lunge forward or kick his legs. If they lunge forward, so too does Cejudo as he creates a collision between his fist and his opponent's face in classic Shotokan fashion. This doesn't bode well for Aljamain Sterling.
The reigning bantamweight king often kicks ahead of himself. If Cejudo can consistently dart forward to draw the kick, then away after Sterling throws a kick, he can counter him while he's still one-legged. Given Cejudo's natural speed advantage, this could lead to Sterling being outstruck throughout the bout.
#2. Aljamain Sterling inhibits Henry Cejudo's mobility
While Henry Cejudo's Shotokan karate style has its advantages, it also has its drawbacks. The nature of his wide, bladed stance means his lead leg is often overexposed. Typically, his darting movement helps disguise his entries into range so his legs aren't kicked. But that doesn't mean he can't be timed.
Against Marlon Moraes, the Olympic gold medalist was the recipient of a multitude of low kicks that forced him to re-adjust his stance and resort to his old boxing-heavy approach. Aljamain Sterling is a powerful kicker with greater length than his foe, so he can interrupt his movement with hard kicks.
This is especially effective against mobile fighters. Every time a fighter steps out of range, the legs are always the last body part to exit range. If Sterling times Cejudo's movement to interrupt him with hard kicks, he'll inhibit his mobility and make it easier for him to out-grapple 'Triple C'.
#1. Aljamain Sterling could gas out
While Aljamain Sterling doesn't have a terrible gas tank, he does have a tendency to tire if he's forced to take part in a high-volume, high-activity bout. Meanwhile, Henry Cejudo can fight for 25 minutes without losing much of his step. The first bout that 'Funk Master' had against Petr Yan revealed his cardiovascular limits.
Sterling commenced the bout at a high pace but quickly burned himself out. This enables Yan to take over with alarming ease. As the fight progressed, 'No Mercy' secured more and more takedowns, which doesn't bode well if the same thing happens to Sterling against Cejudo.
The Olympic gold medalist is a much better wrestler than Petr Yan. If 'Triple C' can use a combination of level changes, high-volume striking, and constant takedown threats to test his foe's gas tank, Aljamain Sterling may very well gas out.
