NEW YORK – The idea of fighting Henry Cejudo apparently doesn’t excite UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling.
Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) retired in May 2020 and relinquished his bantamweight title. However, the former UFC dual champion’s retirement soon could end as “Triple C” is currently eligible to return.
But Cejudo wants a direct shot at the title he never lost. The only issue is that Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC), who’s eyeing a mid-2023 return, is not interested.
“I’m like, no one told you to retire, bro,'” Sterling told reporters at a news conference last week. “We all knew you were going to come back. Like, what stupid games are you playing? That’s on you. The division has passed you by, and what you’ve done three years ago doesn’t quite hold a candle to what everyone’s doing right now in competing. This game I think has kind of passed him.
“He’s a smart dude, he’s getting older, but that fight doesn’t really move me. Like, I’m not getting up in the morning going, ‘Yeah, I’m fighting Henry Cejudo.’ I fight (Sean) O’Malley, I’m like, ‘Yeah, this is a big f*cking fight.’ I fight (Marlon) ‘Chito’ Vera, I’m like, ‘This is dangerous and a big f*cking fight.’ With Henry, it’s just like I’m fighting the ‘King of Cringe,’ whatever you want to call him.”
Sterling understands that a win over Cejudo could add to his legacy but thinks it would be downplayed because of his layoff.
“If I beat Cejudo, you beat a guy coming off the couch,” Sterling said. “‘Oh, he was off for three years.’ There’s always gonna be a narrative that people are gonna have and try and discredit you. So, why not fight someone who’s actually been in here competing? Give me the guy who’s been competing, who’s the No. 1 guy, who just beat the No. 1 guy.”
