Henry Cejudo believes Aljamain Sterling's ego is getting in the way of him fighting again soon.
In a recent video, 'The Messenger' took shots at the current bantamweight champion, saying Sterling hasn't done enough to warrant a long break from fighting.
Cejudo added that he was still open to fighting 'Funk Master' at UFC 284 in Australia. According to 'Triple C', Sterling missed out on a big payday because of his pride:
"[Aljamain Sterling] won his championship by a dude [Petr Yan] knee'ing him. He got the rematch, I mean, the fight could have gone to Petr Yan... He beat a dude [TJ Dillashaw] with one shoulder literally. It took [Sterling] two rounds to finish him... To go out and try to have fun when you really didn't fight somebody."
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You can watch the full video below:
On one side, Cejudo has accused Sterling of taking an undeserved long break. On the other hand, he himself has been out of action for more than two years.
'The Messenger's last octagon walk came in May 2020 when he defeated Dominick Cruz to defend his title. Cejudo later announced his retirement from the sport, but the former double-champ is now planning to return to the octagon soon.
Aljamain Sterling's last three fights have been surrounded by controversy
Aljamain Sterling's championship reign has been marred by controversy. 'Funk Master' won the bantamweight title at UFC 259 after Petr Yan landed an illegal knee on him.
In the rematch, Sterling edged out a split decision victory in a razor-close fight. But many claimed that 'No Mercy' was the rightful victor of that encounter.
Sterling then fought TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280. Dillashaw had an injury coming into the fight, which resulted in his shoulder popping out during the opening round of the bout. Sterling went on to score a TKO victory in the second round.
So, one thing or another has gone haywire in Sterling's last three encounters. These instances have been used by many to discredit the 'Funk Master's achievements.