SAN ANTONIO – Marlon Vera thinks Henry Cejudo’s main motivation to return is money.
Cejudo retired after he retainedd his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz in May 2020. Three years later, Cejudo will look to reclaim the belt he never lost when he challenges bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling in the UFC 288 headliner May 6.
But because Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) already captured belts in two weight divisions, and successfully defended both, Vera (20-7-1 MMA, 14-6 UFC) says there’s only one reason he’s coming back.
“He’s broke,” Vera told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day for UFC on ESPN 43. “What’s the point to come back when you retire on top? You come back because either you need attention and you miss that thing, or you need money. He is a little guy. They need attention.”
Vera will look to enter the title conversation himself when he meets Cory Sandhagen (15-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 43 headliner at AT&T Center in San Antonio. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
If Vera gets past Sandhagen, he’ll have five wins in a row. The UFC recently said Sean O’Malley, whom Vera already beat in 2020, is the No. 1 contender, but “Chito” isn’t worried about what’s next. He said he’ll keep taking out top-ranked contenders until he can’t be denied.
“I’m winning the way they want wins and the fans are cheering for me,” Vera said. “There is a reason this is in front of an arena. There’s a reason I’m fighting three main events in a row. I’ll just keep making money, and eventually the belt will come to me.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 43.
