ALJAMAIN STERLING defeated Henry Cejudo by split decision during UFC 288′s Bantamweight Title fight at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey last night.

It was 36-year-old Cejudo’s first fight in three years, temporarily retiring in 2020, citing a lack of challenges in the division.

Afterwards, the veteran American star, a former two-division champion who also won a 2008 Olympic gold medal in wrestling, suggested he may be set for a second retirement.

“If I’m not first, I’m last. I need to go back and talk to my wife and [UFC president] Dana White. We go back and think about it, maybe this is my last time in the octagon,” he said.

For fellow American Sterling, it was the third successful title defence of the belt he secured by beating Petr Yan in 2021 and his ninth successive victory in total.

“Hats off to Henry Cejudo,” Sterling said after the closely fought encounter as he came out on top on two of the three judges’ scorecards. “I knew it was a close fight coming into it. Henry’s a dog, he’s a legend. It wasn’t an easy task to run through him like I did everyone else.”

In the co-main event, American-Palestinian fighter Belal Muhammad beat Brazilian star Gilbert Burns by unanimous decision.

The 34-year-old is now unbeaten in 10 fights and is next expected to face the winner of the prospective welterweight title bout between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington.