UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling has turned to unconventional medicine to help ensure that he was defending his title against rival Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 on Sunday.

The New York native underwent stem cell therapy to help fix a torn bicep, which he had battled through two title bouts with.

WATCH THE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Sterling discusses his stem cell therapy.

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The Funkmaster says the move was crucial in allowing him to fight this weekend after already having to delay the fight which was earmarked for March.

It was very important helping me with my injury. It was either that or get surgery, he told 7NEWS.com.au.

I thought the bicep was going to heal up on its own, but it didnt.

We tried the PT (physical therapy) route, but we were trying PT for about a year, and it didnt heal up in time.

Staring down a potential surgery that could delay his timeline even further, Sterling scrambled to get a booking.

Stopping short of going under the knife, he decided that a stem cell therapy clinic in Colombia was his best bet.

With only a few months notice, the tight turnaround made it difficult for the American to get a booking.

The earliest they could have gotten me in was like late March, Aljamain Sterling said.

If that was the case, I thought I might as well get the surgery because it was going to too late (to fight in May).

Thankfully, we had some people from the UFCPI pull some strings.

Shout out to Heather, she was able to move some things around with the coordinators over there and get me in earlier.

There he underwent state-of-the-art stem cell procedures for his bicep, along with other niggling injuries.

I think it has helped a ton. Im feeling good. Im using it pretty well, he said.

Theres still some pain here and there, but its way better than before, and hopefully it is enough to get me through this fight and get my hand raised.

After his success with the stem cell therapy, the UFC champion believes that it should be more widely available throughout the US and other western countries.

In particular, Sterling lauded Bioxcellerator and clinics like it around the world.

Oh, 100 per cent, Sterling replied.

We have it here (in the US), but its nowhere near the same level as they have in Colombia.

The culturing, the way they do it. Its just the next level over there at Bioxcellerator, and they do a good job.

I think thats why theyre one of the best locations to go to.

When you go in the approach of the facility, the hospitality, the cleanliness of the place, its a really top-notch and I look forward to going back.

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UFC champion Aljamain Sterling opens up about his last-ditch therapy to save title bout - 7NEWS