Aljamain Sterling spoiled Henry Cejudo’s Ultimate Fighting Championship homecoming.
“The Funk Master” retained his bantamweight title in the UFC 288 main event, edging Cejudo via split decision at the Prudential Center in Newark on Saturday night. It was Cejudo’s first Octagon appearance in 1,093 days and his first defeat since a split-decision setback to Joseph Benavidez on Dec. 3, 2016. Sterling didn’t get long to bask in the glow of his victory against the former two-division champion and Olympic gold medalist, because top contender Sean O'Malley entered the cage shortly after the scorecards were announced.