Aljamain Sterling is slated to defend the UFC bantamweight championship against the returning Henry Cejudo this spring.
First reported by MMA Fighting, the 135-pound title clash is being targeted for UFC 287 on April 8. No other information has been disclosed by the promotion at this time, including location or venue.
UPDATE:
Reports of a potential April showdown between Sterling and Cejudo at UFC 287 have been shot down by Cejudo’s representative, Ali Abdelaziz.
“Fake News.”
A prominent figure in the MMA management industry, Ali Abdelaziz, has gained considerable attention for his online presence. With a long history of representing top fighters, Abdelaziz has garnered buzz for his public statements, such as his promise to leave the sport if Kayla Harrison were to suffer a defeat. As of yet, Abdelaziz has not indicated any intention of following through on his promise in light of Harrison’s recent loss to Larissa Pacheco.
Fake news
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) January 25, 2023
Aljamain Sterling Vs. Henry Cejudo In The Works For UFC 287 PPV on April 8
Henry Cejudo walked away from the promotion after successfully defending the bantamweight title against former two-time champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. A former Olympic gold medalist, Cejudo obtained two-division glory by capturing both the bantamweight and flyweight titles during his seven-year run with the promotion. Last year, ‘Triple C’ re-entered the USADA testing pool with the intention of returning for a walk-on title shot. It now sounds as though Cejudo will get exactly that this spring.
The UFC are targeting Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo for #UFC287 on April 8th 🔥
Per (@MMAFighting) pic.twitter.com/8DEnRY8lLO
— Lewis Simpson (@LewisSimpsonMMA) January 25, 2023
Aljamain Sterling will enter the highly anticipated bout on an eight-fight win streak dating back to 2018. In the time since, he captured the bantamweight title, albeit in controversial fashion after then-reigning champion Petr Yan was disqualified due to an illegal knee in their UFC 259 showdown. ‘Funk Master’ helped to solidify his status as the undisputed king of the 135-pound division 13 months later, besting Yan via a split decision at UFC 273.
Sterling’s most recent performance in the Octagon came at UFC 280 in October where he successfully defended his title against former champion TJ Dillashaw.
Over the last year, Sterling and Cejudo have taken shots at one another with ‘Funk Master’ seemingly uninterested in defending his title against a man that hasn’t competed in nearly three years. It would appear Sterling’s stance has now changed.
Are you excited to see Aljamain Sterling welcome Henry Cejudo back to the Octagon?
