UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is thoroughly uninterested in a bout with former two-division champ Henry Cejudo. Despite Cejudo constantly baiting Sterling via social media, the “Funkmaster” doesn’t think the recently returned retiree deserves a fight with him. Sterling elaborated on The MMA Hour.
“I’m just not excited about that matchup [with Henry Cejudo]. Because he hasn’t competed. For me, if the fans cared — like really cared — the overall consensus was this is the matchup to make, Cejudo you are the guy, I’m calling you out, that’s the money fight because people want to see that fight. I just don’t feel like that’s it.”
Sterling Slams Cejudo
Although Henry Cejudo retired with two belts to his name, and never lost either in the Octagon, Aljamain Sterling doubts the former champ’s strength of schedule. “He won at 125, then he beat T.J., knocked T.J. out, he defended the belt one time.
He goes to 135. Fights for a vacant title. T.J. is no longer in the mix. He beats Marlon Moraes. OK. Marlon Moraes was a killer at the time, I give him his flowers for that. Then he fights Dominick Cruz on short notice and he thinks that’s a great feat. If you fought Dom on a full training camp, I could respect it a lot more. That win holds a lot more weight.
[Dominick Cruz] came off the couch, because it was a short notice opportunity to make a lot more money because you get championship challenger pay and a chance to win the belt, who would not roll the dice and take that chance against a guy who’s 5-foot-4, maybe 5-foot-5. So I get that. He then retires. He sits out for almost three years and your run is not like this crazy thing that you may think in your head. So you think you can cut the line cause you fought almost three years ago?
I don’t know. I’m just not sold. It’s not being disrespectful to Cejudo but the facts are the facts.” Sterling acknowledged that former bantamweight (and flyweight) champion Henry Cejudo remains in the conversation. With Cejudo yet to make his official return from retirement despite years of threatening to come for Sterling’s belt, the champ isn’t holding his breath.
Do you think Henry Cejudo’s return to the UFC should be a fight against Aljamain Sterling, or should he face another elite bantamweight on his way back to the top? Let us know in the comments.
