Aljamain Sterling is reportedly set to defend his UFC bantamweight title against TJ Dillashaw at UFC 279.

After years of lightweight being viewed as the best division in the UFC, and arguably in the entire sport, it seems as if a new contender is emerging - 135 pounds.

There are bantamweights stretched across the top 15 and beyond that continue to impress on an almost weekly basis, and located at the top of the mountain is UFC champion Aljamain Sterling.

‘Funk Master’ has proved himself to be one of the most underrated fighters in the sport and, in a literal sense, has proved that he deserves to be called the champ.

His reign as the king is only really just beginning but before he can celebrate too much, he needs to look ahead to his next challenge which appears to be on the horizon.

As per MMA Junkie, controversial former champion TJ Dillashaw will attempt to capture the gold for a third time at UFC 279 on September 10. There’s no set location for the contest just yet, but according to the report, Boston and Atlanta are currently in the running.

Dillashaw returned to action last summer with a split decision win over Cory Sandhagen, which came after a two-year suspension due to EPO use.

The champ is here

Aljamain Sterling first became bantamweight champion at UFC 259 in March 2021 when an illegal knee handed him the keys to the castle, courtesy of Petr Yan.

It took over a year for the rematch to actually happen and when it did at UFC 273, the majority of fans and pundits felt as if this was finally the moment when ‘No Mercy’ would establish himself as the best bantamweight on the planet.

Unfortunately for the Russian, that wasn’t the case as Sterling’s wrestling helped him to edge out a decision win and defend the title for the first time.

Dillashaw, at the age of 36, has a lot going against him in this match-up - but if anyone can shake up the division and completely flip the script, it’s going to be someone as well-rounded as the veteran challenger.