Sterling will make his second consecutive defence of his bantamweight title after overcoming Petr Yan in April. Dillashaw, meanwhile, will seek to recapture a championship he was forced to renounce.
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Aljamain Sterling is expected to defend his UFC bantamweight championship against TJ Dillashaw on September 10 at UFC 279. Since his shocking victory over Petr Yan at UFC 273, many fans have been wondering what Aljamain Sterling would do as UFC bantamweight champion. Several possible rivals have presented themselves to the ‘Funk Master,’ and while many of them are deserving of the position, one stands out above the others — TJ Dillashaw. According to MMA Junkie, Dillashaw will have the opportunity to become a three-time 135-pound champion when the two clash at UFC 279.
#BREAKING: Aljamain Sterling’s next title defense is being finalized vs. T.J. Dillashaw at #UFC279 ?
News via @mma_kings, @MikeBohn
Full details: https://t.co/5U6J35AIyL pic.twitter.com/fgXhjLWOM2
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) June 16, 2022
According to the source, contracts for this contest have been issued, but the promotion has yet to make a public announcement. In terms of geographical location, Boston and Atlanta are “in play” as the UFC continues to be on the road as the outbreak begins to fade. Multiple sources familiar with the promotion’s intentions confirmed the bout was in the works.
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Sterling will make his second consecutive defence of his bantamweight title after overcoming Petr Yan in April. Dillashaw, meanwhile, will seek to recapture a championship he was forced to renounce after testing positive for a prohibited drug in 2019. Dillashaw relinquished the crown just days before a two-year suspension for testing positive for recombinant human erythropoietin, or EPO, following a loss to former flyweight king Henry Cejudo in his effort to become a two-division champion.
Sterling is now on a seven-fight winning streak, which has earned him the title of greatest bantamweight on the globe, or at the very least, in the UFC. Some have questioned the quality of his rematch victory with Petr Yan in terms of the judges’ scorecards, but it was far from a robbery. Meanwhile, TJ Dillashaw defeated Cory Sandhagen in his comeback fight last year after serving a two-year suspension for EPO use. He’s been out with an injury, but in September, he’ll look to make history and show that he still has what it takes to compete with the best in the league.
Stephen Thompson declines the quick turnaround fight and wants Usman next.
