Not only is former UFC bantamweight kingpin Henry Cejudo set for a return from his self-imposed retirement, he’s also gunning for a title bout with current champ Aljamain Sterling.
Henry Cejudo has not fought since his 2020 victory over Dominick Cruz, so should the UFC grant him an immediate bantamweight title bout against Aljamain Sterling upon his return?
For a number of reasons, the answer is almost certainly yes. If both fighters are down with it, Sterling vs. Cejudo is easily the best direction the bantamweight division could go in right now.
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With that in mind, here are five reasons why the UFC should make Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo.
#5. Henry Cejudo deserves a shot at reclaiming the UFC bantamweight title he never lost
Ever since his self-imposed retirement in 2020, which seemed to center on a disagreement with the UFC over his pay more than anything else, Henry Cejudo has been teasing a comeback to the octagon, even going as far as calling out reigning featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski.
However, while it wouldn’t be fair for ‘Triple C’ to jump the queue at 145 pounds, where he’s never fought before, it seems only right that he gets a chance to reclaim the bantamweight crown that he never actually lost inside the octagon.
Cejudo famously defeated Marlon Moraes for the title at UFC 238 in 2019 after T.J. Dillashaw was forced to vacate following a positive drug test. The fact that ‘Triple C’ had already knocked Dillashaw out, albeit at 125 pounds, a few months beforehand legitimized his reign entirely.
Sure, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist then sat out for almost a year before returning to successfully defend his title against former titleholder Dominick Cruz, but the idea that he wasn’t a genuine champion is nonsense. At the time, Cejudo was clearly the top fighter in the world at 135 pounds.
Since then, the division has moved on without him, and Petr Yan was able to defeat Jose Aldo for the vacant title before losing it to Aljamain Sterling, who retained the gold in a rematch with ‘No Mercy’ earlier this year.
However, given that Cejudo has never lost at 135 pounds and hasn’t been out of action for that long, it only seems fair to let him have a shot at regaining his crown. After all, the likes of Jon Jones, Randy Couture and Cruz were given similar opportunities after taking a hiatus from the UFC.
Essentially, the return of a fighter who never lost his title should always be a big deal. In this instance, ‘Triple C’ should be allowed to jump the queue to an instant title shot.
#4. A win over Henry Cejudo would legitimize Aljamain Sterling more than any other victory
Many UFC fans would probably disagree, but there’s definitely an argument that Aljamain Sterling is the promotion’s most unfairly overlooked champion right now.
The reigning bantamweight kingpin admittedly won his crown in controversial circumstances when former champ Petr Yan was disqualified for the use of an illegal knee, but the fact that ‘Funk Master’ then defeated the Russian in a rematch should’ve legitimized him.
However, the semi-controversial nature of that fight, which Sterling won in a razor-close decision, means that many fans still don’t buy him as a genuine champion.
That’s nonsense, of course, as the result of his fight with Yan wasn’t a bad decision by any means, but some fans simply need more convincing. Therefore, what better way would there be for ‘Funk Master’ to convince his doubters than for him to beat Henry Cejudo?
After all, prior to his self-imposed retirement, ‘Triple C’ was widely recognized as the best bantamweight on the planet after his wins over Marlon Moraes, T.J. Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz. He also appeared to be on his way to becoming an all-time great of the UFC.
Given that Cejudo has only ever lost once in his MMA career, suffering a TKO defeat to Demetrious Johnson in 2016 that he later avenged, if Sterling was to defeat him, it’d be hard not to consider ‘Funk Master’ not only a genuine champion, but as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet.
Potential wins over fighters like Jose Aldo, T.J. Dillashaw and Marlon Vera might look good for Sterling, but they definitely wouldn’t have the impact that a win over Cejudo would have. That’s a major reason that the UFC should book this fight.
#3. There’s no other clear-cut top contender at bantamweight right now
The main reason standing against a potential UFC bantamweight title bout between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo is the fact that ‘Triple C’ has not fought since his self-imposed retirement in 2020. To hand him a title shot upon his return would be allowing him to jump the queue.
However, is there really a queue for a title shot at 135 pounds right now? It’s definitely a point for debate.
Sterling has already beaten Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen. While Jose Aldo is on a strong run right now, he lost a title bout with Yan in 2020 and is arguably past his best at this point.
That leaves T.J. Dillashaw. While the former titleholder does have a claim at a shot at Sterling due to his win over Sandhagen last year, he also holds a loss to Cejudo (albeit at flyweight) and his positive drug test still hangs over him somewhat in the eyes of the fans.
With that considered, would anyone really complain if ‘Triple C’, who never lost his title in the octagon, were to jump ahead of Dillashaw in the queue for a shot at ‘Funk Master’? To be honest, it’s highly doubtful.
Sure, Dillashaw himself might feel aggrieved, but then again he could easily wait to face off against the winner of the Sterling vs. Cejudo bout, or even take a stylistically good fight in the interim with an opponent like Aldo or old foe Dominick Cruz.
Essentially, there is no genuine top contender at bantamweight right now, meaning that Henry Cejudo should be allowed to fill that gap.
#2. Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo could easily headline a big UFC event
Ever since it was introduced into the UFC in 2011, it’s probably fair to say that the bantamweight division hasn’t always been the promotion’s most highly-drawing weight class.
Bantamweight champions like Dominick Cruz, Renan Barao and Cody Garbrandt were able to become stars to a certain extent, but for the most part, the UFC hasn’t really gotten behind 135 pounds at times.
In fact, ever since Cruz’s title bout with Urijah Faber headlined UFC 132 in 2011, just six more pay-per-views have been headlined by bantamweight title bouts. Interestingly, the last event to do so was UFC 238, which saw Henry Cejudo defeat Marlon Moraes for the vacant title.
Right now, then, it doesn’t feel like reigning bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling would be ready to headline a major UFC pay-per-view against an opponent like T.J. Dillashaw or Jose Aldo, but a fight with the former champion Cejudo would be a different matter entirely.
Not only would both men be willing to talk up this fight as a big deal, but it’s not often that a fighter who never lost his title in the octagon returns to attempt to reclaim it. That’s a big deal, however you look at it.
Would a bout between Sterling and Cejudo draw money like a Conor McGregor fight? Probably not, but then very few fights do. Would it draw as well, if not better, than most of the other UFC title bouts that could be put together right now, though? Absolutely.
There’s a ready-made storyline here that would instantly pique the interest of fans, casual and hardcore alike. Given the fact that money could therefore be made, there’s no doubt that the UFC should look to book this fight as soon as possible.
#1. Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo would make an excellent stylistic match
When fans discuss potentially cool-sounding fights on paper, they often forget to consider the stylistic match between the fighters involved. Israel Adesanya vs. Yoel Romero, for instance, sounded amazing on the surface, but in hindsight, their fighting styles meant that a dull fight was always possible.
Unlike that fight, a UFC bantamweight title bout between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo not only sounds good on paper, but it could make for a truly amazing fight in execution, too.
Due to his Olympic gold medal, ‘Triple C’ undoubtedly holds the best wrestling credentials in the bantamweight division right now, while his striking skills have also come on leaps and bounds over the years. Add in his deep gas tank, and he’s essentially got no weaknesses as such.
However, while Sterling might not hold Cejudo’s wrestling credentials, there’s an argument that he might be the better grappler overall, particularly with his submission skills. If he could get on top of ‘Triple C’, then he could give him plenty of difficulties.
Add in Sterling’s unorthodox striking style, which is built around his kicks and unpredictable movement, and this could be a difficult fight to pick wherever it might take place.
Essentially, Cejudo vs. Sterling is the kind of bout that would almost guarantee to produce some crazy action, and it’d probably be a back-and-forth one too with both fighters capable of hurting the other in multiple areas.
On paper at least, it’s the best bantamweight title bout the UFC could put together right now, and in that sense, there’s no reason why the promotion shouldn’t look to ink it as soon as they can.