Aljamain Sterling has not received a contract to fight Henry Cejudo from UFC yet, claims Merab Dvalishvili

Despite news claiming Henry Cejudo is making his UFC return and fighting reigning bantamweight king Aljamain Sterling later this year, Merab Dvalishvili insists that the UFC are yet to offer the champion a contract for the bout.

'Triple C' bowed out of the sport on his terms almost three years ago, but has recently announced his intention at returning to the octagon. The Olympic gold medalist has proved to be a problem for everybody inside the cage and has one of the best resumes in the sport due to the stature of legends he has beaten.

During a recent interview, Merab Dvalishvili claimed that the UFC had not sent a contract over to Aljamain Sterling regarding the proposed Henry Cejudo bout, though the contender stated that the fight will happen "for sure".

"That fight is happening, for sure. Henry is ready, Aljo is ready and that's it. Aljo is injury-free, doing PT every day, and he's started training camp. UFC, lately, they offer you a fight, you say yes, then they give you dates but they don't send your contract. Aljo told me that there is no contract [for the potential Cejudo fight], they never sent Aljo a contract. They will, of course, [send the contract]. UFC told them both to be ready for May."

If the fight goes ahead, the two will finally get to settle their differences and questions will be answered on May 6. Alongside the huge title bout, Charles Oliveira will welcome Beneil Dariush into the cage for a lightweight title eliminator brawl.

Check out what Merab Dvalishvili had to say about Sterling vs. Cejudo in the video below:

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Aljamain Sterling's next fight: Who will the bantamweight king face if not Henry Cejudo?

If his proposed Henry Cejudo matchup doesn't come to fruition, Aljamain Sterling only has a handful of options who could possibly fill in for 'The Messenger', but there is arguably one clear standout.

Currently sitting at #1 in the division rankings is Sean O'Malley, who impressed the world last time out with his significant, yet controversial, decision victory over Petr Yan. 'Sugar' will be expected to fill in and fight for the title should he be given the opportunity.

Another potential opponent for the champion would be the winner of the upcoming blockbuster war between Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Vera, which is set to unfold on March 25.