Aljamain Sterling training alongside ‘fellow Jamaican’ Leon Edwards in UFC 280 ‘Embedded’ video (Ep. 1)

Aljamain Sterling is putting in work ahead of his UFC 280 bantamweight title defense against former champion TJ Dillashaw, which takes place this Sat. (Oct. 22, 2022) in the “Oliveira vs. Makhachev” co-main event from Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.

And “Funk Master” got a little unexpected inspiration in the process.

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TWO TITLES UP FOR GRABS! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) makes its highly anticipated return to Madison Square Garden in New York City on Sat., Nov. 11, 2023, with a re-worked pay-per-view (PPV) main card. In the ESPN+-streamed main event, former 205-pound roost-ruler, Jiri Prochazka, will lock horns with ex-Middleweight kingpin, Alex Pereira, for the promotion’s vacant Light Heavyweight title. In UFC 295’s co-main event, top-ranked Heavyweight contenders, Sergei Pavlovich (No. 2) and Tom Aspinall (No. 4), will collide for the interim strap after division champion, Jon Jones, was injured with a torn pectoral muscle and forced to withdraw (video).

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“It’s cool as hell just to have [welterweight champion] Leon (Edwards) down here in the room, it was very unexpected, I didn’t even know he was gonna be here,” Sterling said on Episode 1 of the UFC 280 “Embedded” video blog. “I think the energy just feeds of each other, it's good to have those good, positive vibes around you.”

Edwards is expected to have his own title defense at some point next March.

UFC 280 will be headlined by the lightweight title fight between former champion Charles Oliveira and streaking 155-pound contender Islam Makhachev. In addition, former bantamweight titleholder Petr Yan returns to battle 135-pound fan favorite Sean O’Malley, with the winner possibly earning first crack at the winner of Sterling vs. Dillashaw.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 280 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 10 a.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN+/ESPNews at 12 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

For the rest of the UFC 280 fight card and PPV lineup click here.