Aljamain Sterling feels UFC will give Henry Cejudo immediate title shot as the 'last hope of someone' who can take him out
Reigning UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling seemingly believes that the UFC could give Henry Cejudo the next shot at the title.
During his latest appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Sterling suggested that the UFC probably doesn't want him to be their bantamweight champion.
'Funk Master' is of the opinion that the UFC currently views former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Cejudo as their last hope to beat him and take his title away.
The UFC 280 event on October 22nd witnessed Aljamain Sterling defend his bantamweight belt by dominantly beating former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw via second-round TKO. Elsewhere on the fight card, 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley defeated former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan via split decision.
Henry Cejudo himself issued a call-out to Aljamain Sterling after UFC 280. Moreover, during the UFC 280 post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White insinuated that he'd like to see Cejudo face Sterling for the title next. This contradicted White and the UFC's previous stance, as they'd promoted O'Malley vs. Yan as a No. 1 contender matchup. Addressing the same, Sterling stated:
"Isn't Dana [White] the funniest guy?" Sterling added, "I like Dana, but some of the things that he actually says, it's beyond me sometimes. You go on record, you say whoever wins this fight [between Petr Yan and Sean O'Malley] is clearly getting the No. 1 [contender title] shot because it makes sense."
He continued:
"After the fight, everything completely changes, and then you throw Henry [Cejudo] in the mix." Sterling further explained, "I almost feel -- and I could be completely wrong -- I almost feel like they're looking for a last hope of someone who can take out Aljamain Sterling."
Check out Sterling's assessment in the Instagram post below:
Aljamain Sterling on why he's opposed to Henry Cejudo receiving an immediate UFC bantamweight title shot
Expounding upon Henry Cejudo potentially receiving the next UFC bantamweight title shot, Aljamain Sterling highlighted that Cejudo was linked to a potential UFC featherweight title shot over the past several months.
Sterling opined that he'd understand if the UFC gave former flyweight and bantamweight kingpin Cejudo a shot at becoming a three-weight champion by capturing the featherweight belt.
THE BW KING REIGNS SUPREME 👑
@FunkMasterMMA gets it done over TJ Dillashaw!! #UFC280 https://t.co/UGjTI0YBQC
Nevertheless, he emphasized that Henry Cejudo surely doesn't deserve an immediate bantamweight title shot upon his return. Cejudo, for his part, hasn't competed since May 2020 but re-entered the USADA testing pool earlier this year. Addressing the aforementioned variables at play, Sterling said:
"The guy [Cejudo] comes back after two years, fought at 125, fought twice maybe at ‘35, and he’s supposed to come back and get an immediate title shot after doing what?"
Watch Sterling discuss the topic at 17:25 in the video below: