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The UFC has added a top-quality bantamweight bout to their upcoming June PPV.
UFC 250 is starting to fill out in earnest. When the promotion announced the card’s early lineup last week, it seemed like they were heading toward one of their least impressive PPV offerings to date. However, they’re adding bouts to the card in a hurry. And one of them is a top-flight bantamweight fight between contenders Aljamain Sterling and Cory Sandhagen. MMA Junkie confirmed the news.
Sterling and Sandhagen were both in the running as potential title contenders back before Henry Cejudo’s sudden retirement after defeating Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. In fact, it’s a little surprising that neither man will be facing off with announced vacant title challenger Petr Yan immediately—even if this bout seems likely to crown the next title contender.
Sandhagen has taken the bantamweight division by storm, since dropping into the UFC in 2018 against Austin Arnett at featherweight. In the time since, he’s gone 4-0 at 135—with wins over Iuri Alcantara, Mario Bautista, John Lineker, and Raphael Assuncao. A win over Sterling would mark eight straight victories for the Elevation Fight Team athlete, stretch back to a 2017 defeat to Jamall Emmers in LFA.
Sterling finds himself on his own 4-0 bantamweight run, stretching back to a lightning quick KO loss to Marlon Moraes in 2017. In the time since dropping that fight, he’s picked up victories over Brett Johns, Cody Stamann, Jimmie Rivera, and Pedro Munhoz. Overall, the Team Serra-Longo fighter has built a 10-3 record with the UFC, since debuting in the Octagon back in 2014, with a win over Cody Gibson.
UFC 250 is set to go down on June 6th, at a location yet to be confirmed. The event is expected to be headlined by a women’s featherweight title fight between Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer. Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more bout announcements in the coming days.