UFC 280: Aljamain Sterling vs. TJ Dillashaw Preview, Odds, Prediction

Aljamain Sterling meets TJ Dillashaw in the bout for the UFC bantamweight belt this Saturday at the UFC 280. Many dispute Aljo’s title, stating he had luck reaching here because he wasn’t better than Yan in either of his fights. Just to remind he won the second one via a split decision. Meanwhile, Dillashaw returned to the octagon following a pause after losing the title to Henry Cejudo and had one win before getting a chance to attack the belt. Some of the fans didn’t like this, but just as in Sterling’s case, he has the opportunity to shut them all down with a victory.

Preview

Aljamain Sterling (-170) won the title following Petr Yan’s DQ at the UFC 259, and after that, he beat the Russian at the UFC 273 vis a split decision. That was one of the most boring fights of all time in the organization, with Sterling avoiding fighting and holding Yan on the ground, controlling him with his wrestling without any intention to hurt the rival.

It was obvious that he wanted to slow the intensity as much as possible, and we, as well as the majority of the public, were displeased. So far, he has six consecutive victories, beating the likes of Pedro Munhoz, Cory Sandhagen, Jimmie Rivera, and Cody Stamann.

Sterling’s advantage over other fighters is fantastic wrestling and a stubborn and rigid approach on the mat. As said, he can kill the fight and just hold the rival. It is dull but practical.

TJ Dillashaw (+150) is back, and to be honest, we weren’t thrilled with what we saw from him against Sandhagen. The former champion won that battle, but the sole reason he did that was because of his reputation, and if it weren’t that much hype surrounding him, we are sure that a split decision win would have been awarded to his rival.

Though many think that Lieutenant Dan, as the fans call this guy, was too rusty in this clash and that he improved through training camps afterward. Such a claim has a certain logic, yet, we don’t know whether it is true.

At his best, Dillashaw was the whole package. A very good striker, with extremely quick moves and punches, which were, by the way, perfect in terms of technique. He was tough to hit due to constant feints and ultra-fast movement. The two-time champion also had an excellent take-down defense.

Prediction

Despite all the written above about Dillashaw, we are giving an edge to Sterling. First, he is at his peak, no matter the unconvincing victories over Yan. It appears that the Funk Master has more power than Dillashaw, and we also believe that his reach, which is more than four inches, is about to play a massive role in this bout.

We can’t go ahead with Dillashaw because his wrestling isn’t as good as Sterling’s, and even if he is in the standup, the rival will control the distance with his jabs and kicks. That’s why we bet on Aljo’s victory and his second successful title defense.

Pick: Sterling wins -170