Sterling beats Cejudo by split decision to retain UFC bantamweight title

Warning: Video contains coarse language

At 135 pounds, Aljamain Sterling is the present and Henry Cejudo is the past.

Sterling defeated Cejudo via split decision (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) to retain the UFC bantamweight title in the UFC 288 main event Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey.

Cejudo returned from a three-year retirement. He left MMA suddenly in May 2020 as the reigning bantamweight champion.

With the victory, Sterling broke the record for most consecutive title defenses in UFC bantamweight history (three). He is also now tied with Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw for the most overall.

"I wasn't sure which way the decision was going to go," Sterling said in his postfight interview. "I thought I had it 3-2.

"I wish I could've done a little bit better. But Henry is a f-----g dog, he's a legend, and it ain't no easy task to just run through him like I did (against) everyone else."

Sterling called out No. 2-ranked bantamweight Sean O'Malley, who was in attendance at Prudential Center and is the next title challenger at 135 pounds.

"I know there's a sweet motherf----r in the crowd right now," Sterling said. "Well, he can star in the episode of Funk Master, baby. 'Sugar' Sean, where the f--k you at, b---h?"

O'Malley walked into the Octagon for a faceoff with Sterling and the two traded words. O'Malley said the champ "looked like shit" and Sterling vowed to "drag your ass up and down this Octagon."

Sterling's teammate and cornerman, No. 1-ranked bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili, took O'Malley's jacket and proceeded to wear it himself during the staredown. Sterling's and O'Malley's teams appeared to start jawing at each other but were separated before things got physical.

Sterling told O'Malley to agree to fight him in September before walking out of the Octagon. UFC president Dana White later said at the postfight press conference that the promotion wants to place the Sterling-O'Malley fight on a planned August pay-per-view event in Boston.

The fight between Sterling and Cejudo was extremely competitive. A lot of it took place in the striking department, but the two spent some time in back-and-forth grappling and wrestling exchanges.

Sterling edged Cejudo in significant strikes by a margin of 135-99 and completed four takedowns compared to Cejudo's three.

"Funk Master" boasted a significant height and reach advantage that helped him outwork Cejudo early on. He landed several leg kicks and shots to the body throughout the fight.

Cejudo's best round was the second. He found his range often with punches to Sterling's body and head.

Cejudo was noncommittal on his future in MMA after coming up short in his bid to become a two-time bantamweight champion. He said he plans to talk with his family and the UFC about what's next, adding that it "may be the last of me in the Octagon."

"I hate losing, but it's also been three years," Cejudo said in his postfight interview. "I just don't know where to take it from here. I'm a little confused. If I'm not first, I'm last."

He added, "My biggest goal was to go up to 145 pounds. If I can't get the victory over (Sterling), then I just don't know where that puts me."

Sterling, 33, has won nine straight fights and now owns the most victories in UFC bantamweight history (14). The Long Island, New York, native captured the title against Petr Yan by disqualification in 2021 and has since defended it against Yan, Dillashaw, and now Cejudo. Two of his three defenses have ended in split decisions. Sterling's last loss occurred all the way back in 2017.

Cejudo was riding a six-fight winning streak. His final fight before retiring was a second-round TKO of Cruz in his first bantamweight title defense. This was Cejudo's first career defeat as a bantamweight.

The 36-year-old is also a former flyweight champion and one of four simultaneous two-division titleholders in UFC history.