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Aljamain Sterling has recently announced that he will be taking on Henry Cejudo early next year. It seems the organization and its fighters are targeting March 2023 to stage the highly-anticipated bout.
'Funk Master' announced the potential bout on his podcast, and Cejudo's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has also been vocal about the fight. While speaking to MMA Fighting, Abdelaziz had previously stated that the fight was a 'done deal' during an interview with the publication.
During his latest podcast episode, Aljamain Sterling seemingly made the bout against Henry Cejudo official when announce that he will be fighting the American next (transcribed via MMA Fighting):
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I’m announcing that I am going to fight Henry next. We are targeting March. I will say Ali, brother, it’s done but it’s still not done until there’s ink on the paper but it’s done. But it’s still kind of not done but this is the fight that’s going to happen next.
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Watch Sterling announce the bout here (at 6:28):
Sterling's most recent contest was back in October, with 'Funk Master' beating UFC legend T.J. Dillashaw in the second round at UFC 280.
Henry Cejudo hasn't fought since beating Dominick Cruz in May 2020. This means the current bantamweight champion will be much fresher than Cejudo should the two fighters meet in early 2023. It seems Cejudo is willing to overlook any potential 'ring rust', which is a risky move given how dangerous Sterling has been during his recent UFC outings.
How long is Aljamain Sterling's current UFC winning streak?
Henry Cejudo will be taking on the best version of Aljamain Sterling should the two fighters meet next year, with Sterling currently on an eight-fight winning streak under the UFC banner.
Not only has 'Funk Master' remained unbeaten since 2018, the American has also beaten some of the biggest names in the organization. Sterling defeated the likes of T.J. Dillashaw, Petr Yan, Cory Sandhagen and Pedro Munhoz during his most recent outings.
Watch the highlights of Sterling's most recent UFC outing here:
Aljamain Sterling hasn't lost a UFC bout since facing Marlon Moraes back in 2017 at UFC Fight Night 123. Moraes managed to stop Sterling in the very first round and remains the only fighter to have beaten 'Funk Master' in the opening five minutes.
