UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and former two-division titleholder Henry Cejudo squared off at the 2022 PFL World Championships on Friday night, adding to the speculation that the two are booked for a 2023 scrap inside the Octagon.
During an interview with John Morgan, Cejudo’s manager Ali Abdelaziz claimed that both parties had already signed off on a yet-to-be-announced bantamweight title fight.
“And I can’t wait for my boy, ‘Triple C’ (Henry Cejudo) to come back,” said Abdelaziz. “I like Aljo (Aljamain Sterling), I consider Aljo as a friend. Aljo is fighting Henry Cejudo – it’s done, you know, it’s done. It’s just – the UFC said it’s done, he knows it’s done.”
Adding a little fuel to the fire, ‘Triple C’ and the ‘Funk Master’ went face-to-face inside the Hulu Theater in New York City during the PFL’s final event of the year.
Aljamain Sterling ile Henry Cejudo, PFL gecesinde yüz yüze geldi. 👀 pic.twitter.com/EcEOEUW9t7
— Dövüş Dünyası (@Dovus_Dunyasi) November 26, 2022
How Does Sean O’Malley Fit Into Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo?
After Sean O’Malley’s somewhat controversial win over Petr Yan to become the No. 1 ranked bantamweight contender, many assumed his next fight would be for the UFC’s 135-pound title. While O’Malley has confirmed that his next fight will be for UFC gold, it likely won’t be the next bantamweight title fight.
With rumors swirling of Henry Cejudo’s return to challenge Aljamain Sterling, the colorful fan favorite is happy to sit on the sidelines and await the winner of that fight. In an interview with ESPN, O’Malley admitted that he would like to see ‘Triple C’ capture the 135-pound title, adding to the rumors that Cejudo and Sterling will be the UFC’s next bantamweight title showdown.
“It’s a better win, beating the two-time world champ, two weight [classes], Olympic gold medalist,” O’Malley said. “If you’re just going off that, what win looks better? A win over Aljo or a win over Henry? For me, a win over Henry looks better.”
