Aljamain Sterling confident he can outwrestle Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo: “He’s just so much smaller”

Despite Henry Cejudo being a credentialled wrestler, Aljamain Sterling fancies his chances in beating the Olympic gold medallist in a freestyle match.

Sterling recently made the second defence of his bantamweight title at UFC 280 by stopping TJ Dillashaw in the second round. The victory marked the 33-year-olds eighth consecutive win in the division. The bantamweight division is arguably the most stacked in the UFC at the moment, which leaves fans wondering who will embark as the next contender for the 135-pound strap.

The bantamweight champion suggested he would be willing to take “the money fight”, specifically leaning towards Sean O’Malley. O’Malley catapulted himself into the number one contender slot after defeating Petr Yan at UFC 280 by a controversial split decision.

Another name being thrown in the hat is Cejudo, who revealed he would be coming out of retirement, and has his eyes locked on blockbuster fights. In May 2020, the 35-year-old officially hung up the gloves after successfully defending one of his two world titles against Dominick Cruz. Many are under the impression the former two-weight world champion would steamroll through Sterling, given his wrestling accolades. However, Sterling quickly makes his argument.

During Sterling’s most recent video on his Youtube channel, he explains why he feels Cejudo is the easiest fight for him stylistically.

Aljamain Sterling weighs-in on Henry Cejudo’s wrestling

“He has the wrestling advantage on paper. If it was a wrestling match, they say he would win, even though I don’t think so. If it’s freestyle, ok, maybe I’ll give him the freestyle. I don’t even see how he would win. He’s just so much smaller than me. What is your path to victory in beating me in a freestyle match? Like you took a shot, I can step around and cut the corner on you and expose your back for points. People think my wrestling is not up to par with these guys just because they got a gold medal. I’m like, okay, cool, bro. I wrestled with a lot of high-level guys, and I probably wrestle more competitively now than you do.”

Having fought eight times since 2018 on his rise, and since capturing UFC gold, Sterling has been vocal about taking some time off away from fighting. Although, ‘Funk Master’ has dropped subtle hints on social media about when fans can expect him back.

Watch Aljamain Sterling discuss the potential fight with Henry Cejudo below.

Do you agree with Aljamain Sterling’s comments? Let us know!