Aljamain Sterling‘s struggle with fan recognition as the best bantamweight may be due to a lack of charisma despite his impressive winning streak, according to Marlon Moraes.
Aljamain Sterling has maintained an impressive winning streak for over five years, boasting victories against renowned fighters such as T.J. Dillashaw, Petr Yan, and Cory Sandhagen. Despite these achievements, he still struggles to gain fan recognition as the best bantamweight on the planet. Marlon Moraes, the last man to best Sterling inside the octagon, attributes this lack of recognition to charisma.
After a brutal loss to Moraes in 2017, Sterling quickly bounced back with a win over Brett Johns and other subsequent victories. He eventually claimed the bantamweight belt through a disqualification win over Yan, although this win turned many fans against him. Undeterred, Sterling later rematched and defeated the former champion, as well as defeating Dillashaw in October. He is now set to face Henry Cejudo at UFC 288, marking his third bout in just 13 months.
Moraes believes Sterling’s struggle with stardom stems from a lack of unique charisma, despite Sterling’s impressive list of UFC wins. Moraes considers Sterling a great professional and recently congratulated him on his career achievements, telling him that he deserves much more respect from everyone. Looking ahead at UFC 288, Sterling faces a tough challenge against former two-division champion Cejudo. Moraes predicts a close match, dependent on which fighter can better impose their game on the other.
According to Moraes, Cejudo must close the distance and push for a grapple, as Sterling’s height and skill with elbows and knees can pose significant danger to Cejudo’s takedown attempts. Although Moraes would place his bet on Sterling, he acknowledges Cejudo’s unique athletic prowess, having faced him in the cage himself. He emphasizes that Cejudo’s immense pressure and unparalleled fighting IQ make doubting him a mistake, thus making it difficult to predict the outcome of this challenging fight.