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Henry ‘The Messenger’ Cejudo had a very eventful career.
He transitioned from freestyle wrestling, where he was an Olympic gold medalist, to MMA in 2013. At UFC 227, Cejudo defeated Demetrious Johnson by split-decision to pull-off the upset and become the new UFC flyweight champion. ‘The Messenger’ then moved up to 135lbs and defeated Marlon Moraes to win the vacant UFC bantamweight championship.
‘The Messenger’ made history by becoming the first Olympic gold medalist to win a UFC championship. Cejudo also joined the list of fighters to win a UFC championship in two weight-classes and hold them simultaneously. Cejudo, now referring to himself as ‘Triple C’, defended the bantamweight championship against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. He then announced his retirement post-fight and relinquished the title.
Since retiring, it’s been no secret that Cejudo would return to the octagon for the right price and the right fight. With Cejudo’s manager stating there’s a “100-percent” chance he’ll be returning in 2022, it’ll be interesting to see who he fights. This list will look at 5 opponents for Henry Cejudo if he returns in 2022.
#5. Henry Cejudo vs. Jose Aldo
Kicking off this list of opponents for Henry Cejudo is Jose Aldo. The former UFC featherweight champion has had a resurgence in his career since moving down to bantamweight. He had a rough start to his journey at 135lbs. However, he has turned it around and could be one fight away from another title shot
Based on the UFC bantamweight rankings, Aldo vs. Cejudo would make a lot of sense. Cejudo and Aldo were originally scheduled to compete at UFC 250 but travel restrictions forced Aldo to withdraw from the bout. Dominick Cruz replaced Aldo and, after Cejudo retired, Aldo fought Petr Yan for the vacant title instead.
The UFC recently confirmed that they’ll be bringing an event to Brazil. Sao Paulo was where the two were scheduled to fight prior to the pandemic, so that’d be the perfect location.
#4. Cejudo vs. Aljamain Sterling
Another opponent that would make sense for Henry Cejudo if he returns is Aljamain Sterling. The current UFC bantamweight champion is coming off a title win that was mired in controversy as his opponent. Sterling was struck with an illegal knee, which resulted in then-champion Petr Yan being disqualified.
If Sterling gets by the current interim-UFC bantamweight champion Yan in the rematch, a fight with Cejudo could be interesting. Since ‘Triple C’ never lost the title, he likely wouldn’t have to wait in line too long for the next title shot. One win over a top-5 opponent could be enough to get Cejudo a title shot.
If Sterling can get a definitive win over Yan, it would raise his stock immensely. A victory over Yan would legitimize his title reign and could lead to more fans rallying behind him. Cejudo has done a great job with his ‘King of Cringe’ antics in selling his fights, so the lead-up could be entertaining as well.
#3. Cejudo vs. Petr Yan
Petr Yan, the current interim-UFC bantamweight champion, has had an impressive UFC tenure. Yan is arguably the top bantamweight in the promotion even though he isn’t the undisputed bantamweight champion anymore.
Following his disqualification loss to Sterling at UFC 259, Yan got back on track by defeating No.4-ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision at UFC 267 to become interim champion. The bout was awarded Fight of the Night and proved that Yan is still the man to beat at 135lbs.
Cejudo would be wise to utilize his Olympic wrestling rather than get into a slugfest with Yan should they compete. Yan has excellent striking and could pose problems for Cejudo in the stand-up, especially since he hasn’t competed in almost two-years. Yan has showcased his devastating power in his stoppages of Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber.
#2. Cejudo vs. Max Holloway
Henry Cejudo could potentially face Max Holloway in a featherweight bout. Cejudo has been vocal about wanting to make history as the first fighter to win a UFC championship in three weight classes. There’d be no better way for Cejudo to prove he deserves a featherweight title shot than by competing against ‘Blessed’.
Cejudo had brought up Holloway as somebody he’d like to fight and even described where he’d have an advantage:
“I feel like I’m just too smart and too skilled, and I love the challenge if I was to ever fight Max Holloway,” Henry Cejudo told ESPN MMA.
It’s no surprise that Holloway would be favored in a potential bout with Cejudo. He is a larger opponent and a former featherweight champion. Holloway’s volume striking and precision could pose problems for Cejudo. However, it wouldn’t be the first time ‘Triple C’ was viewed as an underdog.
#1. Cejudo vs. Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander Volkanovski, the reigning UFC featherweight champion, would be the most intriguing bout for Cejudo at this stage of their respective careers.
Volkanovski is coming off an incredible title defense against Brian Ortega that was awarded Fight of the Night. ‘The Great’ managed to escape Ortega’s submissions and unleashed a flurry of strikes on the ground. When asked about a potential bout with 'Triple C', Volkanovski dismissed the idea as he didn’t feel like 'Triple C' has earned it.
UFC President Dana White may possibly be on-the-fence to book Cejudo vs. Volkanovski. White might think Cejudo will retire again if he wins the title and doesn’t want to have uncertainty in the division. However, Cejudo has a proven track record as champion. He defended the flyweight and bantamweight championships at least once each before moving on.
