05 May 2023 , 22:21
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Henry Cejudo and Aljamain Sterling were forced apart during their intense final face-off at the UFC 288 ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of their historic bantamweight title showdown.
The legendary former two-weight champion Cejudo returns to action after three years of retirement to attempt to take the throne from Aljamain Sterling, the current title holder at 135lb. Both men are known for their ability on the microphone, with Cejudo particularly infamous for his outbursts as the UFC's 'king of cringe' over the years.
And after a frosty fight week that included an intense press conference yesterday that at times lived up to Cejudo's nickname, the pair came head-to-head one last time at the Prudential Center in Newark after both making weight. Sterling tipped the scales at 134lb after admitting that the cut had been harder than usual, while Cejudo was comfortable, weighing in 135lb early in the day.
When the duo came head to head, tempers flared as they shared their final trash talk, before Cejudo slapped down his rival's hand amid the chaos. And when Sterling retaliated, promotional boss Dana White was forced to step in and ease tensions, before Sterling posed with his belt and sent a warning to the on-looking top contender Sean O'Malley in the crowd.
"Guess what Joe?" Cejudo asked host Joe Rogan in his final comments. "Tonight I'm going to Grimaldi's to enjoy a bit of New York-style pizza but tomorrow night I'm going to go eat some Jamaican jerk chicken. Stay tuned 'and new'!"
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Sterling, from just across the city in Long Island, hit back by getting the New Jersey crowd onside with a hometown chant before declaring: "Tomorrow night I'm going to smash this guy. Triple zero is going down tomorrow night, I'm making history. Three-time defending champion right here on the East Coast baby, turn the f*** up let's go!"
Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo went at it during their face-offWill Henry Cejudo reclaim the bantamweight title or will Aljamain Sterling stay on top? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
The pair will top a stacked pay-per-view card that also includes a top contender fight for Leon Edwards' welterweight world title between Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns. The pair shared an icy face-off before the bout that saw Burns break the stare first, much to the delight of Muhammad.
Neither man had been preparing for a fight when, just days prior to the show, the original co-main event between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush was called off and rescheduled for June 10. Burns had just gone the distance in a gruelling win over Jorge Masvidal as recently as April 8, while Muhammad's future was uncertain before he agreed to the late-notice fight.
Elsewhere on the night, Kron Gracie makes his return to action after four years out of the octagon due to the coronavirus pandemic and Jessica Andrade looks to work her way back into strawweight title contention with a victory over Yan Xiaonan. The show is PPV in America, but will be a part of the BT Sport subscription for fans in the UK.