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Henry Cejudo has provided fans with a look at the intense training he's undergoing ahead of his rumored title matchup against UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Cejudo retired from MMA in May 2020. Nevertheless, he's been working towards his comeback over the past several months. Cejudo is expected to return to the octagon in 2023, likely against Sterling.
The Sterling-Cejudo title matchup hasn't been officially announced yet. In fact, neither Sterling nor Cejudo's respective next opponents and/or exact comeback dates have been revealed. Regardless, 'Triple C' is seemingly pulling out all the stops to prepare for a possible clash against Sterling.
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In a video posted to his YouTube channel, former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo showcased a few highlights of his training. As indicated in the video's title, Cejudo's training is purportedly for a potential showdown against Aljamain Sterling.
The video features the Freestyle Wrestling Olympic gold medalist honing his striking skills in what appears to be a light sparring/drill session — practicing punches, leg kicks, and knees. Cejudo also executed takedowns and partook in grappling scrambles against the wall wherein he mimicked scrambles that transpire along the octagon's fence.
Furthermore, the 35-year-old put himself through a grueling neck workout. Cejudo's regime notably included core strengthening/abdominal-centric training as well.
Watch highlights of Cejudo's training from the 1:11-minute mark in the video below:
Henry Cejudo aims to "dismantle" Aljamain Sterling's flawed UFC title reign
Reigning UFC bantamweight kingpin Aljamain Sterling's title-winning performance in March 2021 was fraught with controversy. Sterling captured the belt by defeating then-champion Petr Yan via DQ (Disqualification) after the latter landed an illegal knee in round four of their fight.
'Funk Master' subsequently defended his title against Yan by securing a razor-thin split decision win in April 2022. Sterling then defended his belt by defeating former bantamweight titleholder T.J. Dillashaw via second-round TKO in October 2022.
That fight too was marred by controversy, as Dillashaw later revealed he entered the fight with a severely compromised shoulder, which gave out during the fight and helped Sterling win.
In a recent interview with Helen Yee Sports, Henry Cejudo alluded to the aforementioned facts regarding Aljamain Sterling's UFC championship reign. 'Triple C' jibed at Sterling's run as champion and vowed to dethrone him. The MMA legend self-admittedly always viewed Sterling as a gatekeeper but acknowledged that he happens to be a champion now. Cejudo stated:
"There's something good that he's doing, there's a lot of good things he's probably doing that people are not recognizing and realizing. And I'm here to dismantle that, you know. I think there's a lot of flaws in his game."
Watch Henry Cejudo's assessment at 0:50 in the video below:
