Aljamain Sterling is scheduled to defend his undisputed UFC bantamweight title against former division king TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280 next month in Abu Dhabi and “Funk Master” is already out for blood.
While many fight fans have failed to support Sterling due to the controversy surrounding his feud with former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan, the reigning 135-pound king with have another opportunity to win the people over at UFC 280. If victorious, “Funk Master” will have an eight-fight win streak in the UFC’s stacked bantamweight division and two successful title defenses that nobody can argue with.
That said, Sterling will certainly have his work cut out for him next month in Abu Dhabi. In a matchup against Dillashaw, Sterling is facing someone who can match his wrestling but offer so many more looks on the feet. It’s a dangerous fight on paper for the UFC bantamweight champion, especially considering Dillashaw hasn’t tasted defeat at 135 pounds since a split decision loss to Dominick Cruz all the way back in 2016.
Ahead of his second-straight UFC title defense Sterling has a message for Dillashaw and all of his fans. In a quick clip shared by UFC earlier this week (shown in the above media player), “Funk Master” looks well prepared for his matchup at UFC 280 and more than ready to “skin the snake.”
“We got 30 days baby until UFC 280,” said Sterling. “And still. We’re going to skin the snake, baby!”
Dillashaw, who is 13-4 inside of the Octagon since joining the promotion back in 2011, is coming off a split-decision win over Cory Sandhagen back in July 2021. It was the first fight for Dillashaw since popping for a banned substance in early 2019 and serving out a two-year USADA suspension after relinquishing his 135-pound title.
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