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Aljamain Sterling is back in the good graces of fans as he prepares to defend his title against T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280.
Sterling, of course, became one of the most despised champions in UFC history after he won the belt against Petr Yan via disqualification. However, 'Funk Master' silenced his doubters after he defeated Yan in a rematch by split decision.
Check out Aljamain Sterling's subtle dig at T.J. Dillashaw:
Coming out of the fight, many still believed Yan deserved to win the title back. However, what people apparently dislike more than illegitimate champions are cheaters.
This will be Dillashaw's first title fight since he was forced to relinquish the belt in 2019 due to a failed drug test. After getting knocked out by Henry Cejudo at UFC Fight Night 143, Dillashaw tested positive for the banned substance EPO (erythropoietin), and was subsequently suspended from competition for two years.
Needless to say, a huge segment of fans still haven't forgiven Dillashaw for his mistakes. As such, even a divisive figure like Sterling earned the support of many. Check out the best reactions below.
Fans support Aljamain Sterling ahead of his title fight against T.J. Dillashaw
Aljamain Sterling took to Twitter to send a message to his upcoming opponent. The reigning king of bantamweights posted a photo of himself accompanied by a caption that read, "Let’s shut another one up!"
Surprisingly, Sterling's message mostly received positive feedback from fans on Twitter. Several individuals hoped that Sterling will give T.J. Dillashaw a comeuppance that many believe is long overdue. One person wrote that Sterling will "own" Dillashaw, whom he branded as an "EPO addict."
Many others shared the same sentiment. They expressed support for Sterling, believing Dillashaw doesn't deserve to hold UFC gold once again.
A couple of Twitter users also pointed out that Sterling has been matched up with cheaters as of late. The other one they were referring to was Yan.
Meanwhile, there are also those who believe Sterling is simply better than Dillashaw at this point.
However, Dillashaw spent another year on the sidelines after injuring his knee during his comeback fight against Cory Sandhagen. It remains to be seen if the injury or the time away will affect Dillashaw's performance.
