07 May 2023 , 05:15
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It was a night for legends in Newark, New Jersey as Henry Cejudo went the distance with hometown hero Aljamain Sterling in front of a capacity crowd.
The iconic two-weight world champion and Olympic gold medal wrestler Henry Cejudo opted to return after three years away, almost to the day, from hanging up the gloves. And it was a heart-breaking return for the legendary fighter, who lost a razor-close split decision
Stars such as legendary fighters Don Frye and Frankie Edgar were among the over 16,000 fans in attendance alongside light-heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill. But perhaps the most noteworthy onlooker was the top bantamweight contender Sean O'Malley, who kept a close eye on proceedings from octagonside throughout the night.
After an heated build-up throughout fight week that verged on justifying Cejudo's 'king of cringe' nickname, the bout started with early pressure from Sterling, looking to capitalise on any of his rival's ring rust after three years out. But the Olympic medalist found his way to a takedown within minutes, taking control of the cage, with the crowd strangely onside despite the location.
Once they were on the ground, the battle between two high-level amateurs ended with Sterling making it back to the feet, and pushing the pace again in an effort to hurt his rival with a big head kick. But when they went down again, it was Sterling who managed to get to his rival's back and close out the first round with a huge ground and pound shot.
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As the duo stood and traded in the second, the monstrous size difference between Sterling, who admitted he had struggled making 134lb for the contest, and the much smaller Cejudo. And while the returning fighter did appear more crisp on the feet, there were noted improvements in Sterling's game.
Heading into the third it was anyone's fight, with Cejudo tagging Sterling with a stinging shot as he made his way in for a takedown. As Sterling began to work towards the legs, the disparity between NCAA Division 3 wrestling and his rival's Olympic gold began to show, with his takedown efforts generally falling flat and the round actually ending with him on his back.
Cejudo was brought to the championship rounds for the first time since his infamous 2018 war with Demetrious Johnson, but looked fresh in the exchanges against his rival, who had been there twice in his last three, landing a number of big punches as well as a knee coming in that Sterling was impressive to stay up after. And by the end of the fourth, he scored his takedown, likely putting him up on the judges' scorecards heading into the fifth.
Aljamain Sterling won by split decision (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Who do you think Aljamain Sterling should fight next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
The fifth was a clear one for Cejudo, particularly with a fan-delighting takedown right at the death that many felt had clinched him the win.
Elsewhere on the card, Belal Muhammad took in the evening's hastily-arranged co-main event. The pair were called up on a few days' notice to save the co-feature after a lightweight title eliminator between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush was pushed back due to injury.
Rumours has swirled online that Muhammad was suffering with an ankle injury going into the bout, but he certainly didn't look to be in much trouble in the early exchanges and dropped Burns towards the end of the first round. He had demanded the bout be made five rounds, with the winner certain to face the winner of Leon Edwards vs Colby Covington for the welterweight title.
And they went that full distance, with Muhammad looking impressive over that five round distance, to earn a massive decision win over the Brazilian. Speaking with Mirror Fighting after the bout, he sent a message to Edwards and Covington, declaring "those clowns can't hide from me".