Aljamain Sterling not stressing over bantamweight GOAT status ahead of UFC 288

MORRISTOWN, N.J. – With two title defenses in the books, Aljamain Sterling has been the most consistent UFC bantamweight champion in recent years, and he might just further that Saturday.

The last decade has been quite tumultuous at the top of the UFC’s 135-pound division. Before Sterling, no champion had been able to successfully defend the belt twice since T.J. Dillashaw’s reign from 2014 to 2015. After that, many have won the belt but lost it in the next outing, while some others have notched one defense before falling short in a second attempt.

Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) has an opportunity to extend his reign to three defenses when he welcomes Henry Cejudo back from retirement in the main event of UFC 288, which goes down at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Some have question where Sterling stands among the all-time greats in bantamweight history. He’s definitely climbing the ladder, but that isn’t something he puts much significance on.

“It’s really cool (to be considered among the greats),” Sterling told reporters at UFC 288 media day on Wednesday. “I had a couple of goals coming into the UFC. Obviously one was to become a UFC champion, and we were able to do that and defend a couple of times. Getting into this sport was about changing my life, traveling the world and getting to meet new people. I was able to do a lot of that. …

“I feel like I already won. Whether or not people want to include me in that conversation, that’s cool. It’s nice to see that I’m in that conversation, but at the end of the day, I have to win for anything like that to be a serious conversation. I still look at Dominick (Cruz), and I think we’re all chasing his record.”

A win over Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) would certainly be a good addition to Sterling’s resume. He understands the caliber Cejudo brings to this matchup, even if personally he’s not his biggest fan.

“He is a cringey guy,” Sterling said. “I just think he’s socially awkward. Other than that, as a competitor, I respect him and everything he brings to the table. … He’s just a strange cat. I’m not looking past him. I think he might be underestimating me. And if he does, that’s going to be his shortcoming on May 6.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 288.