Put respect on Aljamain Sterling’s name.

Sterling has spoiled Henry Cejudo’s UFC comeback, taking out the former two-division champion in a split decision victory (47-48, 48-47, 48-47) to defend his bantamweight belt in a fast-paced main event on Sunday.

Cejudo was back in the UFC after three years on the sidelines, with the fight against Sterling marking his first in 1,093 days.

The Olympic gold medallist, who became the only man to ever win gold and become a UFC champ, went on to claim (and successfully defend) both the flyweight and bantamweight straps before his shock retirement in 2020.

Now closing in on 40, Cejudo was hoping to continue his six-fight win streak but in the end it was a legacy-defining win for Sterling in his first-ever UFC main event billing.

It was a massive moment in Sterling’s career, a chance for the champion to earn the respect he deems long overdue.

And in a highly-competitive fight it was Sterling who had his hand raised, taking his win streak in the bantamweight division to nine — the longest in UFC history.

“I wasn’t sure which way the decision was going to go,” Sterling said post-fight.

“I thought I had it 3-2. I wish I could have done a little bit better but Henry is a f***ing dog, he’s a legend and it ain’t an easy task to run through him like I did everybody else.”

Next up for Sterling is Sean O’Malley (16-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), with the pair facing off in the octagon after Sunday’s main event as things turned ugly quickly.

“You better look better than that. You looked like s***,” O’Malley said.

“Get this piece of s*** out of my cage,” replied Sterling.

While Sterling ended up taking out the win, it was hardly comfortable as Cejudo scored the first takedown of the fight.

Daniel Cormier described it as “pretty easy” work from the challenger who worked in the top position as Sterling locked up his arms in the guard.

Sterling was able to stand up and escape without absorbing too much damage and started to go on the attack himself, landing a big body kick.

The champion was then able to take down Cejudo twice, getting back control on the latter attempt while landing some big knees, dominating the latter stages of the round.

“He is one of the very best at back control and rear-naked chokes,” Joe Rogan said of Sterling.

Sterling continued to pressure Cejudo to open the second round, peppering the challenger with leg kicks and cleanly landing one high kick as he took advantage of his clear size advantage.

Cejudo though was proving a pretty evenly-matched opponent for him in spite of that, particularly on the ground, while also finding some success with right high kicks.

It seemed like Sterling, with his ability to constantly switch stances, was going to prove a puzzle that Cejudo could not solve.

But Cejudo’s corner wasn’t so sure the champion was on top. Rather, they told him he was up 2-1 on the scorecards.

It could have just as easily been in Sterling’s favour though, such was the tightly-contested nature of Sunday’s fight.

“It just feels like whoever is advancing is finding success,” Cormier said in commentary.

Sterling opened the fourth round with a pair of calf kicks and was urged to continue going to the calf of Cejudo, which was starting to swell up.

But in what was another tight round between the pair, it was Sterling who ended up on top after landing his fourth takedown of the fight and ending by landing a combination.

Those big moments in the fourth round may have been the difference in the end as Sterling finished on top — just.

INJURY SOURS CO-MAIN EVENT

The action ignited in a frenzy of brutality before the Main Card even began, with the preliminary bouts delivering a raft of stunning knockouts.

But the co-main was sadly soured by an obvious left shoulder injury to Gilbert Burns as he took on Belal Muhammad in a welterweight title eliminator.

The injury appeared to stem from – or be aggravated by – a successful takedown on Muhammad in the first round, as Burns landed heavily on the shoulder. But from that moment on, Burns was almost completely incapable of punching or grappling with his left arm.

Instead, Burns was forced to almost exclusively throw straight right punches, while he attempted – and landed – more kicks than any other fight in his UFC career. It was a remarkable display of toughness from the obviously injured man.

After the third round, he pointed to his left shoulder and told his team he was in severe strife, but nevertheless he refused to quit.

Muhammad controlled much of the fight, particularly through his exceptional use of left kicks to the body. He also threw well over 100 strikes more than Burns.

The unanimous decision victory (50-45, 49-46 x2) was a tenth-straight win for Muhammad.

Muhammad is now in line for a potential shot at UFC welterweight king Leon Edwards. But he also called out two-time title challenger Colby Covington, who may be next up for Edwards.

DEBUTANT’S BRUTAL KNOCKOUT WIN

Veteran Phil Hawes was knocked out cold in his middleweight bout with Russian newcomer Ikram Aliskerov during the early prelims on Sunday AEST, copping a nasty blow to the chin the opening round.

Hawes was seemingly in control of the contest until Aliskerov landed a right hook at the 2.10 mark, with the 34-year-old American flopping onto the canvas in gruesome scenes.

Aliskerov, on UFC debut, was proclaimed victor via TKO, improving his professional record to 14-1-0. It the Russian’s sixth consecutive triumph, while Hawes has now suffered three KO defeats in four fights.

VICIOUS STANDING CHOKE SLEEPS RIVAL

Then Nigerian beast Kennedy Nzechukwu pulled off a remarkable standing guillotine choke to put Devin Clark to sleep in the prelims.

Nzechukwu was struggling in a wild opening round, but recovered to claim a third-straight win over his light heavyweight rival.

“I kind of made a mistake with my hands… I paid for that,” he said.

But some knees to the body led to the guillotine choke which put Clark straight to sleep, the referee stepping in as Clark went unsonscious without having time to tap out.

It was Nzechukwu’s third-straight win and took him to 12-3.

STAR ARGUES STOPPAGE DESPITE DEMOLITION

In the featured prelim bout, lightweight Matt Frevola claimed a third-straight knockout, handing Drew Dober his first-ever knockout loss in the UFC.

In a first-round firefight, both fighters swung with reckless abandon – and it was Frevola who landed the telling blows.

Frevola copped a left to the body but hit back with a left to the nose and a giant right hand to the jaw that chopped Dober to the canvas.

Frevola pounced on his rival and finished the bout with some devastating ground-and-pound, with referee Herb Dean rightly stepping in despite Dober’s protests.

A bloodied Dober tried to get to his feet immediately to continue arguing with Dean, but could hardly maintain his footing and appeared obviously dazed and badly wounded.

Frevola said: “It’s just my time, I’m in the prime of my life. I’m on a run, I’m going for the title.

“I’m here. On my best day, I can beat anybody in the world. I truly believe it,” he added.

He then called out Paddy Pimblett, saying he ‘absolutely sucks’ and calling him a ‘b***h’.

INSANE COUNTER KO SETS UP ALL-CHINA BOUT

Then, in a women’s straw-weight bout, a retreating sixth-ranked Yan Xiaonan caught Jessica Andrade with a sensational counter right hand to the chin that sent the veteran crashing to the canvas. Yan chased her to the ground and quickly finished the bout.

It was her eighth first-round finish. “I am so happy. This is the happiest moment since I’ve been in the UFC,” Yan said. It sets up a massive all-China fight for the strawweight title against Zhang Weili.

It meant that 31-year-old former champion Andrade – the most experienced woman in UFC history – lost her second-straight fight.

UFC 288 RESULTS

Main Event

Aljamain Sterling def. Henry Cejudo by SD (47-48, 48-47, 48-47)

Belal Muhammad def. Gilbert Burns by UD (50-45, 49-46 x2)

Yan Xiaonan def. Jessica Andrade by TKO (R1)

Movsar Evloev def. Diego Lopes by UD (29-28 x2, 30-27)

Charles Jourdain def. Kron Gracie by UD (30-27 x3)

Prelims

Matt Frevola def. Drew Dober via TKO (R1)

Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Devin Clark by TKO (R2)

Khaos Williams def. Ronaldo Bedoya by SD (27-30, 29-28 x2)

Virna Jandiroba def. Marina Rodriguez by UD (29-28 x2, 30-27)

Early Prelims

Parker Porter defeated Braxton Smith via TKO (R1, 2:10)

Ikram Aliskerov defeated Phil Hawes via TKO (R1, 2:10)

Joseph Holmes defeated Claudio Ribeiro via TKO (R2, 3:21)