UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling appears to be in the shape of his life as he prepares to defend the belt at UFC 280 later this month.
For the longest time, Aljamain Sterling was viewed as one of the most underrated fighters in all of mixed martial arts. While you could certainly argue thatâs still the case, at least he can now declare himself to be the undisputed king in one of the sportâs most stacked divisions.
âFunk Masterâ may not be everyoneâs cup of tea as a fighter or as a self-promoter, but nobody can deny the success that the 33-year-old has enjoyed across the last few years.
From being just another name in the top 15 to someone who is a genuine threat against just about everyone, this is a man who has fought hard for everything heâs got.
Read more: Aljamain Sterling offers some advice to 'wishful' 17-year-old Raul Rosas Jr
Later this month, heâll be defending his crown for just the second time when he collides with former champion TJ Dillashaw in a huge co-main event at UFC 280.
Itâs a bout that Sterling has been calling for and now that heâs got his wish, more and more fans are getting hyped up about what this fight will actually look like.
Weâve only seen Dillashaw once since his return and that was in a very, very close decision win against Cory Sandhagen, a man that Aljamain was able to submit in the first round.
Jamaicaâs first UFC title holder will have to be ready for anything and based on the following clip, weâd say heâs in the right shape to make some serious waves in Abu Dhabi.
Video: Aljamain Sterling shows off his physique
âOctober 22nd baby. 20 more days, Iâm coming for the snake. Skin the snake, letâs go.â
Sterling posted a tagline calling himself âThe Backpackâ, a nickname heâs earned due to his fantastic grappling and submission ability on the ground - something he showcased nicely in his last outing.
Defending his legacy
The fight in question went down at UFC 273 when Aljamain Sterling successfully retained his belt against Petr Yan, with the Russian being unable to reclaim the strap he lost via disqualification just one year prior.
Read more: UFC 280: Date, Fight Card, Location, Tickets and more
Sterling has made a point of proving his doubters wrong and itâll be quite interesting to see how the entire pay-per-view shapes out if he wins, especially with Yan serving as a huge feature on the main card with a grudge match opposite Sean OâMalley.