The challenge is welcome for Sterling, who was happy to put an unstable chapter behind him when he edged out Petr Yan in their rematch at UFC 273 to earn the split decision nod. The 13-month saga, which involved Sterling winning the title by disqualification when Yan hit him with an illegal knee, as well as a long recovery from neck surgery, put Sterling through the wringer of the MMA fandom, but the 33-year-old is out of the game. other side with gold still wrapped around her waist.
He eagerly turned his attention to the next name on his list in Dillashaw, who earned a title shot by defeating Cory Sandhagen by split decision in his first fight after serving a two-year suspension. Dillashaw spent the next year on the sidelines recovering from knee surgery, but remains one of the biggest names in the division, having won the belt twice previously.
UFC 280 COUNTDOWN: Full episode | Oliveira vs. Makhachev | Sterling vs. Dillashaw | Yan vs. O’Malley
“I take pride in taking on the toughest challenges,” Sterling said. “If I could beat him and have a scalp like that on my resume, that would be enough for me. People are going to be talking about TJ for years, so winning against him, even sharing the Octagon with him, is a huge thing to relate to for the story.
Beyond the ramifications of Sterling’s legacy, the matchup is also stylistically intriguing. Sterling’s wrestling prowess is well-documented, and it’s been particularly stifling since he underwent hand surgery in 2019 to deal with a long-tolerated issue. In his next fight after the procedure, he submitted Cory Sandhagen in 90 seconds to win his first title.
