Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo has managed to stay relevant in the MMA space despite being retired since May 2020. Throughout the pandemic era of the UFC and beyond, fans have heard about Henry Cejudo and his possible comeback.
These talks for a comeback have ramped up exponentially as of late after Cejudo expressed an interest in facing Alexander Volkanovski.
Guy you will see @HenryCejudo 2022 greatest combat athlete of all the time 💯 he’s 100% want smoke all these guys
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) January 17, 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
‘Triple C’ has long since wanted to fight ‘Volk’ and possibly secure a record-setting third belt in the UFC. His manager Ali Abdelaziz recently tweeted out that Cejudo’s return is now on the cards for 2022, leaving a lot of unanswered questions. Cejudo’s manager promised fans he would make a comeback and take the UFC world by storm.
Read this story: Top 5 Biggest Rivalries in the History of the UFC
Will Henry Cejudo receive an immediate title shot at featherweight?
It appears that the recent talks of Cejudo possibly fighting for featherweight glory have rekindled his passion for the sport. However, UFC President Dana White has provided a significant amount of resistance to the possibility of Cejudo returning to a title shot. According to White, ‘Triple C’ would first need to recapture the title in his own weight class to secure a title shot at featherweight.
“Isn’t that guy retired?” White asked reporters after UFC Vegas 46. “He’s retired, isn’t he? I mean, the last time I saw, he was retired, and now he’s mad that he didn’t get a title shot? It doesn’t even make sense. In a different weight class? It doesn’t make sense.”
Dana White isn't interested in having this "f*cking silly conversation" about a @HenryCejudo return.#UFCVegas46 | Full video: https://t.co/MXfA8yA5yk pic.twitter.com/4e5M5tDArW
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) January 16, 2022
“If he wants to come back and try to win the title again in his weight class, and then talk about moving up or doing something else — but you don’t just f**king pop up and start calling somebody names and think that you’re going to get a title shot in a different weight class when you’ve been retired for, what, two, two-and-a-half years?” the UFC boss said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Also Read: UFC Legend Khabib Nurmagomedov to Launch Another Massive Business Franchise
It seems as though Henry Cejudo will have a long path to tread before he’s able to face Alexander Volkanovski. Recapturing the bantamweight title first will be easier said than done as the division has evolved significantly since his departure. His timeline for a potential comeback is still anyone’s guess at this stage.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad