Mar 12, 2021
Cejudo teases UFC comeback, targets Volkanovski
Is Henry Cejudo closer to a return to the Octagon? The former UFC two-division champion, who held gold in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions simultaneously before announcing his retirement, told SportsNation he was coming back in an appearance this week. So is Triple-C, the man that added two UFC belts to the Olympic gold medal he won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, about to make his return to the promotion?
Is Henry Cejudo closer to a return to the Octagon?
The former UFC two-division champion, who held gold in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions simultaneously before announcing his retirement, told SportsNation he was coming back in an appearance this week.
So is Triple-C, the man that added two UFC belts to the Olympic gold medal he won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, about to make his return to the promotion?
“When you guys see me sign on the dotted line, that means I’m officially back,” Cejudo told TSN. “So when I say I’m back, it could mean anything. Very broad.”
Cejudo, who spoke to TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter while wearing a crown and carrying a sceptre, says that he’s happy with his long list of accomplishments and one thing that will not be driving his return will be a need for fulfillment.
“When people say they’ve done everything, nobody can say it,” said Cejudo. “Khabib cannot say they’ve done everything, not even Jon Jones can say they’ve done everything, not even Demetrious Johnson, they haven’t done everything. You know why? Because they’ve all wrestled and nobody ended up winning a gold medal. Look at me, an Olympic gold medallist, a flyweight champion, a bantamweight champion of the world. I defended both my belts. I’m happy man, I’m satisfied whether I come back or never come back, the Triple-C legacy will never be broken.”
One thing that would absolutely improve on the 34-year-old’s legacy would be a championship belt in a third division, the featherweight title, something that is clearly on Cejudo’s mind and in his sights.
He says the promotion has no interest in seeing him become a three-division champion and with a few new nicknames, takes aim at 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski.
“Dana White knows I can beat Alexander “The Average”. Alexander “The Decision Maker”, Alexander with pillow hands. He knows that I can beat him, but for that same reason, they don’t want to give me the fight,” said Cejudo. “Think about it, I’m faster than Volkanovski, I feel like I’m a lot more explosive than him, I have a better MMA IQ, my wrestling is better and he’s only two inches taller than me. Listen, that’s an easy fight for me. I guarantee you, I will make Alexander “The Average” bend the knee.”
One of the two titles that Cejudo held, the bantamweight championship, changed hands in controversial fashion at UFC 259 last Saturday when defending title holder Petr Yan was disqualified for hitting Aljamain Sterling with an illegal knee.
Cejudo first condemned the new champion, but now believes he did the right thing not continuing in the bout after the foul was committed.
“Before I was a little pissed at Aljamain, it kinda rubbed me the wrong way, but then I thought about it and you know what, the dude made a right business decision,” said Cejudo. “Knowing that in the fourth round, he was losing all the rounds, I don’t think he won one round. I don’t know what judge scored anything for Aljamain, it just lets you know these judges are stuck on stupid. Petr Yan did I great job with his defence and his composure and that was just the difference in that fight. Aljamain Sterling Silver was throwing out too much volume in that fight and it wasn’t working.”
Despite his change of heart on the result, Cejudo says he has no interest in challenging the new champion.
“Aljamain Sterling doesn’t have anything for me, he doesn’t appetize me,” said Cejudo. “I can fight for the belt anytime I want to come back, but that dude? He doesn’t do anything for me.”
Before Cejudo can cross the bridge of a return, he’ll have to get back into the United States Anti-Doping Agency program. He says he’ll also need an opportunity that excites him, if not, he’s happy with his two belts and gold medal.
“I’m not in the USADA pool,” said Cejudo. “I want my comeback to mean something, whether it’s financially or legacy. Do I want to fight? Absolutely I want to fight, 100 per cent I want to fight, but it’s gotta be worth my legacy. If it ain’t, I’ll just troll to the end.”
The former UFC two-division champion, who held gold in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions simultaneously before announcing his retirement, told SportsNation he was coming back in an appearance this week.
So is Triple-C, the man that added two UFC belts to the Olympic gold medal he won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, about to make his return to the promotion?
“When you guys see me sign on the dotted line, that means I’m officially back,” Cejudo told TSN. “So when I say I’m back, it could mean anything. Very broad.”
Cejudo, who spoke to TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter while wearing a crown and carrying a sceptre, says that he’s happy with his long list of accomplishments and one thing that will not be driving his return will be a need for fulfillment.
“When people say they’ve done everything, nobody can say it,” said Cejudo. “Khabib cannot say they’ve done everything, not even Jon Jones can say they’ve done everything, not even Demetrious Johnson, they haven’t done everything. You know why? Because they’ve all wrestled and nobody ended up winning a gold medal. Look at me, an Olympic gold medallist, a flyweight champion, a bantamweight champion of the world. I defended both my belts. I’m happy man, I’m satisfied whether I come back or never come back, the Triple-C legacy will never be broken.”
One thing that would absolutely improve on the 34-year-old’s legacy would be a championship belt in a third division, the featherweight title, something that is clearly on Cejudo’s mind and in his sights.
He says the promotion has no interest in seeing him become a three-division champion and with a few new nicknames, takes aim at 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski.
“Dana White knows I can beat Alexander “The Average”. Alexander “The Decision Maker”, Alexander with pillow hands. He knows that I can beat him, but for that same reason, they don’t want to give me the fight,” said Cejudo. “Think about it, I’m faster than Volkanovski, I feel like I’m a lot more explosive than him, I have a better MMA IQ, my wrestling is better and he’s only two inches taller than me. Listen, that’s an easy fight for me. I guarantee you, I will make Alexander “The Average” bend the knee.”
One of the two titles that Cejudo held, the bantamweight championship, changed hands in controversial fashion at UFC 259 last Saturday when defending title holder Petr Yan was disqualified for hitting Aljamain Sterling with an illegal knee.
Cejudo first condemned the new champion, but now believes he did the right thing not continuing in the bout after the foul was committed.
“Before I was a little pissed at Aljamain, it kinda rubbed me the wrong way, but then I thought about it and you know what, the dude made a right business decision,” said Cejudo. “Knowing that in the fourth round, he was losing all the rounds, I don’t think he won one round. I don’t know what judge scored anything for Aljamain, it just lets you know these judges are stuck on stupid. Petr Yan did I great job with his defence and his composure and that was just the difference in that fight. Aljamain Sterling Silver was throwing out too much volume in that fight and it wasn’t working.”
Despite his change of heart on the result, Cejudo says he has no interest in challenging the new champion.
“Aljamain Sterling doesn’t have anything for me, he doesn’t appetize me,” said Cejudo. “I can fight for the belt anytime I want to come back, but that dude? He doesn’t do anything for me.”
Before Cejudo can cross the bridge of a return, he’ll have to get back into the United States Anti-Doping Agency program. He says he’ll also need an opportunity that excites him, if not, he’s happy with his two belts and gold medal.
“I’m not in the USADA pool,” said Cejudo. “I want my comeback to mean something, whether it’s financially or legacy. Do I want to fight? Absolutely I want to fight, 100 per cent I want to fight, but it’s gotta be worth my legacy. If it ain’t, I’ll just troll to the end.”