Eric Albarracin, Henry Cejudo’s longtime coach, has confidently predicted that his fighter will defeat UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling in three rounds by submission during their main event clash at UFC 288 on Saturday.

Cejudo, a former two-division UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist, stunned the MMA world in 2020 when he announced his retirement following the successful defense of his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. However, he has always teased a return to MMA, and as a coach who has worked with him for more than a decade, Albarracin is not surprised by Cejudo’s comeback.

Albarracin believes that Cejudo wants to prove he was made for greatness and that his ultimate goal is to become the first-ever three-division champion in UFC history by taking on Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title. However, he is keen to ease himself back into the octagon, beginning with Sterling, with a potential bout against popular contender Sean O’Malley to follow.

Albarracin believes this will help Cejudo gain momentum and build up to his eventual title shot against Volkanovski. Some betting sportsbooks currently list the Cejudo vs. Sterling matchup as almost even. Albarracin, however, is dismissive of such comparisons and any comparisons between the fighters’ skill sets.

Albarracin believes that if the fight remains standing, Cejudo will knock out Sterling, and that his wrestling skills are far superior to those of his opponent. According to Albarracin, “division III cancels out Olympic champion wrestling,” and he is confident that Cejudo’s world-class wrestling will be key to their victory. All in all, Albarracin is confident that Cejudo will emerge victorious and build on his already impressive legacy within the sport.