Coach Ray Longo doesn’t believe Aljamain Sterling will get the proper credit if he beats Henry Cejudo at UFC 288: “There’s always gonna be something. It’s never clean”

Ray Longo doesn’t feel like Aljamain Sterling will get the credit he deserves if he’s able to defeat Henry Cejudo at UFC 288.

Next Saturday night in Newark, Aljamain Sterling will defend his UFC bantamweight championship against Henry Cejudo. It will serve as the first return fight for ‘Triple C’ following his initial retirement back in 2020.

Sterling, on the other hand, has been the man to beat at 135 pounds for a while. After winning the belt via disqualification against Petr Yan, he successfully defended the strap against the Russian in a tight decision.

Most recently, he beat TJ Dillashaw, who was dealing with a nasty shoulder injury during the contest.

As he prepares to battle Cejudo, his coach Ray Longo has opened up on Aljamain’s title reign up to this point.

“I think Aljo’s got the mindset where he’s just gonna go in and fight,” Longo said. “The more I get to know him, the more I appreciate (him), like the way he thinks, the way he dealt with the adversity after the illegal knee, and have to sit there for a year and just get absolutely tortured. But it’s always gonna be something.”

Longo defends Sterling

“If Aljo wins this fight, (haters will say) Henry had a three-year layoff. ‘He didn’t fight for three years. What do you think? He was rusty.’ It doesn’t matter, you know what I mean?” Longo said. “I think Aljo’s smart enough, he’s just gonna fight one fight at a time, take his money, and be very, very happy and grateful for everything he has. I don’t even know if there is a chip on his shoulder now. He’s just very, very happy to be in the position he’s in, and he’s just gonna enjoy himself. I don’t even think he’s putting pressure on himself, to be honest with you, because there’s always gonna be something. It’s never clean.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

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