5 reasons why the UFC should make Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo

Should the UFC grant Henry Cejudo a shot at bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling?

Not only is former UFC bantamweight kingpin Henry Cejudo set for a return from his self-imposed retirement, he’s also gunning for a title bout with current champ Aljamain Sterling.

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Henry Cejudo has not fought since his 2020 victory over Dominick Cruz, so should the UFC grant him an immediate bantamweight title bout against Aljamain Sterling upon his return?

For a number of reasons, the answer is almost certainly yes. If both fighters are down with it, Sterling vs. Cejudo is easily the best direction the bantamweight division could go in right now.

With that in mind, here are five reasons why the UFC should make Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo.

#5. Henry Cejudo deserves a shot at reclaiming the UFC bantamweight title he never lost

'Triple C' never lost his UFC bantamweight title inside the octagon

Ever since his self-imposed retirement in 2020, which seemed to center on a disagreement with the UFC over his pay more than anything else, Henry Cejudo has been teasing a comeback to the octagon, even going as far as calling out reigning featherweight kingpin Alexander Volkanovski.

However, while it wouldn’t be fair for ‘Triple C’ to jump the queue at 145 pounds, where he’s never fought before, it seems only right that he gets a chance to reclaim the bantamweight crown that he never actually lost inside the octagon.

Cejudo famously defeated Marlon Moraes for the title at UFC 238 in 2019 after T.J. Dillashaw was forced to vacate following a positive drug test. The fact that ‘Triple C’ had already knocked Dillashaw out, albeit at 125 pounds, a few months beforehand legitimized his reign entirely.

Sure, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist then sat out for almost a year before returning to successfully defend his title against former titleholder Dominick Cruz, but the idea that he wasn’t a genuine champion is nonsense. At the time, Cejudo was clearly the top fighter in the world at 135 pounds.

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Since then, the division has moved on without him, and Petr Yan was able to defeat Jose Aldo for the vacant title before losing it to Aljamain Sterling, who retained the gold in a rematch with ‘No Mercy’ earlier this year.

However, given that Cejudo has never lost at 135 pounds and hasn’t been out of action for that long, it only seems fair to let him have a shot at regaining his crown. After all, the likes of Jon Jones, Randy Couture and Cruz were given similar opportunities after taking a hiatus from the UFC.

Essentially, the return of a fighter who never lost his title should always be a big deal. In this instance, ‘Triple C’ should be allowed to jump the queue to an instant title shot.