UFC president Dana White doesn’t appear to be holding his breath awaiting Henry Cejudo’s Octagon return.
“Triple C” announced last week that he would be rejoining the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug-testing pool, something fighters need to be in for at least six months if they want to fight in the UFC. The former bantamweight and flyweight champion retired in May 2020, but he said in the tweet that “it’s time for the return of the king.”
“I’m gonna talk to @AliAbdelaziz00 tomorrow about re-entering the USADA pool,” Cejudo tweeted on April 10. “Volkanovski: He’s got no competition at FTW after Max. Aljo & TJ: I could beat both those dudes for the title I never lost It’s time for The Return of the King.”
ESPN‘s Marc Raimondi spoke with Cejudo’s manager Ali Abdelaziz who confirmed that Cejudo would re-enter the random-drug testing program on Monday, April 11. Even will all signs pointing to Cejudo’s eventual mixed martial arts return, the UFC president appears skeptical.
During a recent interview with TMZ, White was asked for his temperature on the social media feud between Cejudo and Conor McGregor. “No,” the UFC president responded plainly.
“Cejudo’s retired,” White continued via Bloody Elbow. “Cejudo’s retired, you know? Cejudo knows what he needs to do to get back in and get—whatever. I mean, just talking shit on Instagram does not get you fights.”
At this point in time, it’s unclear if Cejudo has officially rejoined the USADA pool, and whether or not he’s been tested yet.
Cejudo Hasn’t ‘Stopped Training’ & Is Eyeing Featherweight & Bantamweight, Abdelaziz Said
Cejudo made the announcement a day after UFC 273, an event that featured 145 and 135-pound title clashes. Triple C has made it clear that he wants to fight for the featherweight title and become the promotion’s only three-division champion. And he’s also shown interest in fighting at bantamweight again.
“Henry will focus on his fight and training,” Abdelaziz told ESPN. “He never stopped training. I truly believe Henry can come back to win the 135 [bantamweight] title and go up to 145 [featherweight] and win that. He will be the only fighter in UFC history to win three world titles.”
Alexander Volkanovski defended his 145-pound championship against Chan Sung Jung in the evening’s main event and Cejudo took to Twitter the next day, sharing his inspiration and challenging the Australian to sign a fight deal.
“@alexvolkanovski you’ve inspired me to come back,” Triple C tweeted. “When it comes to wrestling…you couldn’t pin a tweet. I would take you down and choke you out quicker than a McGregor relapse. Sign the contract.”
Triple C Held Both the Bantamweight & Flyweight Belts at the Same Time
Cejudo is one of only four UFC fighters to hoist two divisional titles simultaneously. He won the flyweight title in 2018 when he dethroned longtime champion Demetrious Johnson via split decision at UFC 227. He defended the 125-pound belt in his next fight, finishing then-bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw via first-round TKO.
In June 2019, Cejudo competed for Dillashaw’s vacant belt against Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 and he only needed three rounds to win his second strap.
Later that year, Triple C vacated the flyweight championship to focus on the bantamweight division. He fought and defeated former 135-pound king Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020. Then, Triple C retired inside the Octagon during his post-fight interview.
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Dana White Appears Skeptical About a UFC Great Fighting Again