Henry Cejudo advises Sean O'Malley to stay fight-ready, expects Aljamain Sterling to pull out
Henry Cejudo weighed in on his upcoming octagon return against bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and sent a message to No.1 ranked bantamweight Sean O'Malley.
Cejudo uploaded a video to his YouTube channel, where he advised O'Malley to remain prepared and ready to step in on short notice. He mentioned that he doesn't believe that Sterling is too keen on fighting him and will eventually withdraw from the bout.
He said:
"I'm looking at putting somebody to sleep on May 6 and I hope that Aljamain doesn't pull out. And I will tell you this, Sean if you're watching, I have a feeling Aljamain's gonna pull out." [4:13 - 4:23]
'Triple C' doubled down on his claims and believes that the reigning UFC bantamweight champion is stalling because he wants to remain champion for as long as possible and compete against opponents that best suit his style, saying:
"I could just sense it man. He doesn't wanna fight me, he wants to continue keep enjoying his belt. Like, he wants to parade it forever and fight the best matchups for him. So, if you want a crack at the title, I would tell you to reconsider and get ready man." [4:24 - 4:42]
Cejudo doesn't seem confident that Sterling's becep will be one hundred percent in time and will be forced to withdraw from their bout at UFC 288.
Check out the full video:
Henry Cejudo is planning a quick turnaround after UFC 288
UFC is finalizing a bantamweight title fight between Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo, both fighters announced on social media.
Contracts have not been signed, but the title fight is being targeted for May 6. https://t.co/33RgMaplyb
Henry Cejudo is committed to regaining the UFC bantamweight championship when he returns to the octagon and challenges Aljamain Sterling on May 6.
During the affromentioned video, the former two-division UFC champion spoke about the possibility of 'Funk Master' withdrawing from the fight and even revealed what his plans are for the coming months. He mentioned that he wants to be active and is planning a quick turnaround, saying:
"My goal, my plan would be hey, switch it over right away to International Fight Week. You know, Hunter Campbell said, 'You win this fight, let's get you rolling right away in July.' So personally, that's my goal, that's my plan." [2:59 - 3:14]
There are plenty of options for 'Triple C' should he win the title and target a July return. Sean O'Malley is believed to be earning the next title shot and the winner of the upcoming Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen fight could be in the title picture.