Aljamain Sterling will defend his bantamweight title against former champion TJ Dillashaw.
Champion Aljamain Sterling will defend his bantamweight title against no. 2 ranked TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280: Oliveira Vs. Makachev. Taking place at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island, this will be Sterling’s second defence of the title he won in March last year.
Aljamain “The Funk Master” Sterling (21-3) has been in the UFC for eight years, working his way up to the peak of the division. He will be riding a seven-fight win streak when he arrives in Abu Dhabi, including back-to-back wins over former champion Yan in his last two outings. Sterling, 33, will be fighting outside the United States for the first time in his 24-fight professional career as he looks to cement his place at the top of the 135lbs division.
His opponent, Dillashaw, has been a leading light in the bantamweight division for over a decade. He is a former two-time champion who first tasted title glory in 2014, before repeating the feat in 2017. The 36-year-old holds several UFC bantamweight records including most wins (13), most wins by KO/TKO (7), most title fight wins (5), and an impressive eight fight-night bonuses along the way.
It is the latest blockbuster fight to be added to the 22 October card, which will be headlined by Charles Oliveira taking on Islam Makhachev for the vacant lightweight title. Also on the card is another key bantamweight bout between former champion Petr Yan and talented prospect Sean O’Malley.
UFC 280: Oliveira Vs. Makachev will be the latest mixed martial arts event held in the UAE. October will also see the return of Abu Dhabi Showdown Week running from 17 to 23 October, anchored by UFC 280 and consisting of other sports and entertainment ancillary events, powered by Flash Entertainment.
VIP ticket packages for UFC 280: Oliveira Vs. Makachev are now available from https://ufcvip.com/d/ufc-280-tickets
DSCVR: UFC 280, Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. @adshowdownweek
