Aljamain Sterling knew his position would require him to keep the wolves at bay and likely expected a former champion to be at or near the front of the pack.
The Serra-Longo Fight Team will defend his undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight crown against T.J. Dillashaw in the UFC 280 co-headliner on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Sterling steps inside the Octagon on the strength of a seven-fight winning streak. He last appeared at UFC 273, where he took a split verdict from Petr Yan in their April 9 rematch.