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The UFC bantamweight champion, Aljamain Sterling is sorting out a solution for the fighters next in line to challenge him for the title.
Sterling was rumoured to defend his bantamweight strap against Henry Cejudo at UFC 285. But that fight is off the chart as of now as the ‘Funk Master’ revealed that he will need surgery to repair his torn biceps.
Sterling last defended his title against TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280 last October. On the same card, ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley got the better of Petr Yan and established himself as the no.1 contender in the division.
With Sterling sweating out with the injury concerns and sidelined for an indefinite period, the ‘Funk Master’ himself has come out as a moderator. The 33-year-old suggested that the former champ Cejudo should fight O’Malley for the interim title till he recovers from his insult.
“If Henry wants to wait for me, he can wait,” Sterling said during a recent interview on The MMA Hour.
“Or if he wants to take what he thinks is the easier fight right, he can fight Sean…an interim means both fighters get paid. They’re going to have a belt and they’re entitled to pay-per-view points.”
O’Malley and Cejudo had an altercation on backstage at UFC 276 which might be one reason the duo agree to the fight. Since then, the pair have been going back and forth with each other, teasing a potential bout in the coming months or so.