Aljamain
Sterling is expected to defend his bantamweight crown against
T.J.
Dillashaw at UFC 279 on Sept. 10.
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MMAjunkie.com was first to report the booking. The bout is
expected to be finalized soon, as contracts have not yet been
signed. UFC 279 doesn’t yet have an official location or venue.
After winning the 135-pound belt with a controversial
disqualification victory over Petr Yan at
UFC 259, Sterling defeated Yan via split decision in their rematch
at UFC 273 on April 9. The “Funk Master” has won seven consecutive
fights in UFC competition, with other notable victories over the
likes of Cory
Sandhagen, Pedro
Munhoz and Jimmie
Rivera.
A former two-time bantamweight champion, Dillashaw returned
following a two-year USADA suspension at UFC on ESPN 27 last July,
when he took a split verdict over Sandhagen. It was Dillashaw’s
first appearance since a failed bid to capture flyweight gold at
UFC Fight Night 143, when he was stopped by Henry
Cejudo in 32 seconds in January 2019.