The challenge is a welcome one for Sterling, who was happy to put an unsteady chapter behind him when he outhustled Petr Yan in their rematch at UFC 273 to earn the split decision nod. The 13-month saga, which involved Sterling earning the title via disqualification when Yan hit him with an illegal knee, as well as a lengthy recovery from neck surgery, put Sterling through the MMA-fandom wringer, but the 33-year-old came out the other end with gold still wrapped around his waist.
He eagerly turned his attention to the next name on his list in Dillashaw, who earned a title shot when he beat Cory Sandhagen via split decision in his first fight after serving a two-year suspension. Dillashaw spent the next year on the sidelines recovering from knee surgery, but he remains one of the bigger names in the division, having earned the belt twice before.
UFC 280 COUNTDOWN: Full Episode | Oliveira vs Makhachev | Sterling vs Dillashaw | Yan vs O’Malley
“I pride myself in just taking on the toughest challenges,” Sterling said. “If I could beat him and get a scalp like that on my resume, that’s enough for me. People are going to be talking about TJ for years, so to get a win over him, even just sharing the Octagon with him, that’s a huge thing to be tied to for history.”
Beyond the ramifications on Sterling’s legacy, the matchup is stylistically intriguing, as well. Sterling’s grappling prowess is well-documented, and it is particularly suffocating since he underwent hand surgery in 2019 to take care of a long-tolerated issue. In his next fight following the procedure, he submitted Cory Sandhagen in 90 seconds to earn his first title shot.
