Henry Cejudo is skeptical about fighting UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling next.
Although Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) announced that he’s fighting Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) on May 6, Cejudo isn’t buying it until the contract is signed from both ends. “Triple C” put pen to paper but said Sterling is yet to do the same.
Sterling and Cejudo had been linked to a matchup for UFC 285 on March 4, but Sterling wanted to address some injuries before returning. Chomping at the bit to fight for the title is No. 1 contender Sean O'Malley, and Cejudo says he’ll be preparing for his style, too, in case he doesn’t end up fighting Sterling.
“Aljamain Sterling, is he ready? Does he really want that smoke? Because quite frankly, I really don’t think Aljamain Sterling wants that smoke,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “So at the same time, the only thing I could say to Sean O’Malley (is) ‘stay ready, stay prepared.’
“Obviously I’m going to be training for Aljamain Sterling – as soon as the fight gets announced, as soon as it’s not just verbally said, but there’s a signature on there and the fight is sealed and everything is good. But at the same time, there is that precaution that Aljamain may not show up. Typically I don’t do things like that, but I will adjust just in case that Aljamain Sterling pulls out of this fight.”
Cejudo, a former dual champ, will attempt to reclaim the bantamweight title he vacated when he retired after stopping Dominick Cruz in May 2020. Meanwhile, Sterling will look to add another former champion to his resume after scoring a dominant TKO win over T.J. Dillashaw to retain his title last October at UFC 280.
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