It appears as though the long awaited clash between bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and former two-division champion Henry Cejudo is being targeted for UFC 287 on April 8.
According to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin and Mike Heck, the bout is being targeted for the event, which is yet to have an official venue announced. Perhaps the location will be announced in conjunction with the bout as a way to generate more interest.
It looked as though the bout was in jeopardy after Sterling revealed in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel that he has been dealing with a torn bicep. This caused many to speculate on whether the promotion would book Cejudo vs. Sean O’Malley as an alternative.
There is a lot at stake for both fighters as ‘Funkmaster’ has an opportunity to add a win against the former two-division champion to his legacy. Meanwhile, ‘Triple C’ has an opportunity to regain the bantamweight championship that he relinquished three years ago when he retired.
Will Henry Cejudo become a two-time UFC bantamweight champion?
Henry Cejudo will have an opportunity to become a two-time bantamweight champion if his rumored bout against Aljamain Sterling takes place at UFC 283.
‘Triple C’ relinquished the bantamweight champion after his second-round TKO win against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. Since then, the former Olympic gold medalist has continued to have success in the sport through coaching.
It will be interesting to see how the former two-division UFC champion performs, especially after a three-year layoff. The return fight will give the promotion a better idea of whether the 35-year-old can still compete with the best in the division.