UFC 288 main event opponents Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo crossed paths at a hotel ahead of the matchup.
But instead of the encounter creating sparks, it came off as an incredibly awkward moment, according to UFC fans.
The two will fight this weekend at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey for the UFC bantamweight championship.
This clearly wasn’t a planned face-to-face, and maybe we’re used to fireworks whenever fighters come across each other in public.
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But this did little to peak any interest for fight fans for the main event fight on the weekend.
Sterling approached Cejudo with the former double-champion flanked by his team sitting down in a table near the two.
The interaction was incredibly respectful, as they shook hands, and asked each other how the camp was going.
There were awkward laughs when the two shook hands for what seemed an overly inappropriate amount of time.
Sterling maintained that he was looking forward to putting on a good show for the fans on the weekend and that’s all that mattered to him.
Meanwhile, Cejudo kept letting his opponent know that he was ready for the fight.
And rather than piquing MMA fans’ interest in the fight, they were all saying the same thing.
One said: “Obviously there’s tension but this was an awkward watch lol.”
Another wrote: “Most awkward conversation on a fight week.”
A third added: “They shook hands for an uncomfortable amount of time.”
A fourth commented: “Holy F**K this is the cringiest encounter I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Still love them both.”
Hey, I guess not every fighter has to be controversial away from the octagon.
Both are extremely talented fighters and both are trying to make the case to be considered the best bantamweight of all time.
It goes down this weekend at UFC 288.
Topics: MMA, UFC, Henry Cejudo, Aljamain Sterling
Jayden Collins