Aljamain Sterling vs Henry Cejudo Prediction: Triple C Came Back for Nothing

On the night of May 7, the big UFC 288 tournament will take place. In the main event, the reigning lightweight champion Aljamain Sterling and the legendary Henry Cejudo, who returns after a three-year layoff, will share the cage. The bout will happen in the lightest weight class. 

After that simulated victory, Sterling became a real top fighter and a true champion. Maybe, Peter Yan did something to him with his knee. In the rematch, Aljamein looked much better. He left no chance for T.J. Dillashaw, finishing him in the second round.

Sterling has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and wrestling is his main weapon. But he's aggressive, taking a lot of takedown attempts. He moves a lot, and he's good at controlling the parterre. Aljamain is not the best in standing but can be a real pain in the neck. His jab is very unpleasant. As for the physical condition, Sterling is all right, too. Aljamain has learned to distribute his energy for all five rounds (the second fight with Petr proved it), so he is physically strong.

Сejudo, the Olympic freestyle wrestling champion, and former UFC bantamweight champion, abruptly announced his career end after three consecutive early wins in 2019-2020. But he hasn't gone anywhere from the media space. Few men successfully return from downtime, but Jon Jones recently proved that's no problem for an elite fighter. And Henry, without any reservations, is an elite fighter. The exciting thing about Triple C's technique is that he has never won by submission as a wrestler of the highest freestyle level.

Man, that's an intriguing matchup. I just see a tough challenge for Henry. Sterling's a big guy, tall. His wrestling is just as good as Henry. His grappling is better than Henry. Striking-wise, I don't think he's gonna be able to go in Sterling's range. If he does, I believe they might get to a grappling exchange, and I just think Sterling is a better fighter and he's gonna win.

Marlon Moraes

Two factors in Sterling's favor will help him win. He is in the right shape and knows how to prepare for a bout against a particular opponent. In a fight with Cejudo, Aljamain will have a strength and size advantage, and there are questions about Henry's cardio. After a three-year absence, it's tough to go straight out for five rounds against the current champion, who will drag the fight as far as possible. The bout won't end quickly, and no one will force events for fear of making mistakes. The first rounds could drag on. The longer the fight, the fewer winning chances Cejudo will have. It's not easy to outwrestle Aljamain in the standing, ask Peter Yan. The reach advantage will help him keep his opponent at a distance.

To be honest, I think Aljo probably submits Henry. Who knows how hard Henry's been training? You know, these last few years he had a baby, he clearly wasn't in good shape. Every time you saw him at the fights he looked fat, drunk, so I don't know. I think Aljo probably chokes him, I don't know what's taken so long for them to book that fight.

Sean O'Malley