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Henry Cejudo has been very vocal about his desire to return to active competition. With the former two-division UFC champion and Olympic athlete looking to return to Dana White's promotion, fans are curious about who Henry Cejudo will take on in his return to action.
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Having re-entered the USADA testing pool, it usually takes around six months of testing for a fighter to be eligible to compete again. That may seem like some time, but MMA isn't exactly the fastest-moving sport per individual weight division.
Having most recently taken over the 135lb division before his exit, 'Triple C' will likely look to compete at bantamweight and potentially move up to featherweight on his return. Additionally, he helped Deiveson Figueiredo regain the flyweight title, and Henry Cejudo most likely won't entertain fights that don't pay well, are against a friend, or aren't for a title.
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The most recent title fights at bantamweight and featherweight have 'Triple C' rather excited to get back in there and remind everyone exactly how skilled he is. Defeating the likes of Demetrious Johnson, T.J. Dillashaw, and Dominick Cruz shows that Cejudo might be one of the best fighters to ever do it.
With a possible return on the horizon, here are the five most logical opponents for Henry Cejudo:
#5. Petr Yan
Controversially losing his title to Aljamain Sterling was followed by losing the rematch via a controversial decision. However, Petr Yan is still considered by many as one of the best, if not the best bantamweight in the world. He's defeated the top of the weight class and seems to improve with each performance. Currently 0-2 against Sterling, 'No Mercy' must be hungrier than ever to revert back to his winning ways.
Although he had many moments in his most recent title fight against Sterling, the wrestling offense of 'Funk Master' won over two of the three judges. Henry Cejudo is on a different level than Sterling when it comes to wrestling - his accolades speak for themselves.
This is a winnable fight for Yan, too, as he's at the very least in the conversation when debating who the best striker in the UFC is. Beyond the excitement of this stylistic clash, the fight would determine the irrefutable number one contender for the division. Sterling may be taking on T.J. Dillashaw next, and it would be wise for the Russian to stay active.
#4. T.J. Dillashaw
Although he's eyeing a fight against Aljamain Sterling to recapture bantamweight gold and become a three-time world champion, Dillashaw would most likely hop on the opportunity to have another go at Cejudo.
When they first met, Dillashaw had just put the nail in the coffin of his rivalry against Cody Garbrandt when he finished him for the second time. 'Triple C' was riding the biggest win of his life against one of the best fighters to ever compete in the organization, Demetrious Johnson. Following this victory, Dillashaw moved to flyweight to gain champ-champ status.
This bout only lasted 32 seconds. Henry Cejudo proved to be too strong and too fast. After the fight, Dillashaw tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended for two years and stripped of his bantamweight title. Before his suspension, Dillashaw was adamant about getting the Henry Cejudo rematch as he thought it to be an early stoppage on the referee's part.
Should Aljamain Sterling take a fight that doesn't include Dillashaw or Cejudo, this will be the perfect fight to make for the number one contender spot.
#3. Max Holloway
Max Holloway is about as much of a "people's champ" as the UFC has. Following two close fights with the current champion Alexander Volkanovski, 'Blessed' has been relegated to contender status. This doesn't bother him much, for he's still young and is collecting wins. Furthermore, many believe that he should've walked away with the belt in the Volkanovski rematch.
The Hawaiian has since won two incredible fights and was granted a third fight against Volkanovski but was forced to withdraw due to injury. This is the next best option should 'Triple C' take a fight that isn't for a title.
Holloway still holds a championship aura with him and has been sitting on the cusp of a title shot since his career-best performance against Calvin Kattar. In order to evolve from 'Triple C' to 'C-4', Henry Cejudo would need to capture a fourth title, and 'Blessed' is the best path to featherweight gold outside of the champion.
#2. Aljamain Sterling
A win is a win, no matter how controversial it may be. The MMA community is torn in half when debating the rematch between Sterling and Yan. The split decision saw Sterling retain the belt he initially captured via disqualification.
Regardless, Sterling is the champ, and a third fight against Yan is hard to book right away. Although Dillashaw is looming over the bantamweight division right now, Henry Cejudo could very well jump the line and take the title shot from him.
With his accolades and the attention he brings, 'Triple C' scoring the title shot after his two-year retirement wouldn't be a terrible move. Sterling would benefit from this fight, too, for a win over the Olympian would be an excellent addition to his record.
#1. Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander 'The Great' Volkanovski is the reigning featherweight champion and is undefeated since joining the UFC. Having just dismantled 'The Korean Zombie' in what could be his most dominating performance, Volkanovski needs some new challengers.
Max Holloway deserves a third Volkanovski fight, but the sport is riddled with unexpected events and unforeseen variables that often get in the way of a fight. Should Holloway not be next, then Henry Cejudo could return in hopes of becoming the UFC's first-ever three-division champion.
Cejudo was a large part of Chan Sung Jung's camp as the Korean attempted to dethrone 'The Great' and has been calling for a bout against the Australian for some time now. It's safe to assume that 'Triple C' has been studying the Australian's style for a fair amount of time.
Volkanovski, however, has dismissed Cejudo for lacking featherweight merit. Perhaps not accomplished in the division, but he's arguably the most accomplished combat sports athlete in the world. While Dana White has insisted that Henry Cejudo is retired, it wouldn't be outlandish to assume that we may see him in a title fight if it generates enough excitement amongst fans.
