Aljamain Sterling

ANALYSIS
Sterling had been riding a nine-fight UFC winning streak that culminated in a championship belt and multiple title defenses, but that all fell apart last August when he was finished in the second round by Sean O'Malley. There's also the issue of Sterling's refusal to fight teammate and rising bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili, but that problem will be solved by Sterling deciding to move up a weight class. He'll predictably be at a slight size disadvantage upon moving up a weight class to face Kattar, though Sterling could choose to use his superior offensive wrestling skills to negate that. That being said, Kattar defends takedowns at an impressive 91 percent clip. Also, while Sterling's momentum was halted recently, Kattar has tasted defeat more often of late, as he's dropped three of his last four (granted, the last one was due to a torn ACL last November).

ANALYSIS
Sterling had some success poking at O'Malley with leg kicks in Round 1, but nothing of significance was landed by either fighter, leaving everything on the table in the second frame. It was here that "Aljo" attempted to switch stance after throwing a jab, which left him wide open for the huge counter shot that followed. Sterling was able to regain a level of composure after faceplanting, but optics were working against him, and referee Marc Goddard called the fight shortly thereafter. Grappling is a staple of Sterling's game, but he was unable to ground his opponent in this one, which left him at the mercy of the faster, more dynamic striker. While he called for an immediate rematch, the O'Malley victory opens up some interesting directions regarding the title picture, making it unclear who Sterling will face next.

ANALYSIS
Sterling defended his bantamweight crown against Henry Cejudo in early-May and will look to remain bantamweight king against challenger Sean O'Malley. Sterling's recent run has been mightily impressive, as the fighter hasn't lost since 2017. The younger O'Malley, meanwhile, has only one UFC loss on his record and should be a worthy foe for Sterling. Look for Sterling to employ more of his grappling in this one, as O'Malley on the feet is dangerous for any opponent.

ANALYSIS
Sterling had to work for it, and it got hairy at times, particularly in Round 5, but he appeared to do enough to win this fight. Outside of the final frame, the champion won most of the striking exchanges between the two men. He fired off countless leg kicks, leaving Cejudo hobbled by the time all was said and done. The grappling game was essentially a wash, with Henry landing 3-of-8 attempts, while Sterling connected on 4-of-15 tries. Aljo's cardio appeared to dip some as the fight progressed, which is concerning, but two of the three judges still gave him the win. The UFC brought Sean O'Malley into the cage afterwards for a face-to-face encounter, which all but ensures he will be the next challenger. "Sugar" is going to have an overwhelming advantage over Sterling in terms of pure striking skills, but Aljo figures to have the edge most everywhere else. These two seem destined to collide at some point later this year, and it seems as if the UFC hopes to do it in Boston in August. Aljo figures to be a slight betting favorite when the initial Vegas odds are released.

ANALYSIS
Sterling suffered a torn left bicep tendon in training and the UFC had to push to original booking of April 8 back a month. Sterling was able to defend his Bantamweight title last October against TJ Dillashaw.