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Boxing UFC 288 Sterling vs Cejudo Best Bet: Funk Master Defends
UFC 288 Aljamain Sterling vs Henry Cejudo Best Bet: Saturday, May 6th
UFC 288 takes place this weekend and Aljamain Sterling will try to make his 3rd title defence in a row against the former Bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo. The bookmakers are mostly giving even-money odds for this one, but bettors are largely baking Tripple C to get the job done. We have a different opinion and have a best bet ready at 2.02 odds.
In this article:
Aljamain Sterling vs Henry Cejudo Preview
Sun, May 7th 03:00 (UK time)
The Funk Master Aljamain Sterling makes his first appearance of 2023 this Saturday night against one of the most dangerous opponents the UFC has to offer in Tripple C – Henry Cedujo. He had a perfect 2022, making 2 title defences against former champions Petr Yan and T.J. Dillashaw. Sterling is now on an 8-fight winning streak and coming off a TKO victory, carrying a lot of momentum coming into UFC 288.
Aljamain Sterling has made a reputation for himself in the Bantamweight division as an elite grappler who also puts up a lot of striking volume, and also has exceptional cardio. He didn’t look very good in that first fight against Yan back in 2021 but came back after his neck surgery and put on a stellar performance. It wasn’t a decisive victory but he managed to persuade the judges to give him the nod in a very close fight. We’re expecting something similar to happen here, with all due respect to the skillset that Tripple C has.
The king of cringe is back and UFC fans love it! His antics at the UFC 288 press conference were the highlight of the event so far and I can’t wait to see him in the octagon again. Don’t take my jests as mockery, I love Henry Cejudo and I strongly believe he is Aljo’s most dangerous opponent so far. The former Flyweight and Bantamweight champion was on a 6-fight winning streak before he retired back in 2020 and even boasts a win against one of the most complete fighters in the game – Mighty Mouse!
Henry Cejudo is an amazing athlete, the former Olympic gold medalist wrestler holds an MMA record of 16 wins and just 2 losses. He is an even better grappler than his opponent in this fight and has a lot of power and volume in his striking. 8 of his career wins have come via KO/TKO, including his last 3 in a row. Cejudo averages 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes and has a takedown defence of 93%. However, there are some points of concern for him against Sterling.
Aljamain Sterling vs Henry Cejudo Best Bet
For one, a 3-year layoff is a very difficult hurdle to overcome. Now, we have seen fighters like Jon Jones and GSP bounce back like this, but how likely is this to happen this weekend? Cejudo is taking on a champion who is in excellent shape, has been active and has better physical tools.
Sterling is 3 inches taller, has a 7-inch reach advantage and has excellent cardio. Now, Cejudo has faced a lot of taller opponents in the past and it hasn’t been much of a problem. However, Aljo attempted 22 takedowns in his fight against Yan and landed just 2, and even that was enough to get him the decision win. His volume and cardio will be the difference makers in this one and I expect the judges to give him the nod after 5 rounds.
- Selection: Sterling to Win
- Best Odds: 2.02 (Unibet)
- Stakes: 4/10
Odds as of 2:00 pm May 5, 2023. Odds may now differ.
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