Getty Henry Cejudo & Joe Rogan
Former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion Henry Cejudo may not make his fighting return after hearing the news that Alexander Volkanovski will likely fight for the lightweight strap next.
In April, “Triple C” announced that he would rejoin the United States Anti-Doping Agency testing pool, a necessary step for athletes to take should they want to compete inside the Octagon.
Cejudo made it clear that he was looking to become the promotion’s first-ever fighter to earn three divisional weight classes. To do so, he has taken aim at Volkanovski, the UFC’s featherweight king.
However, UFC president Dana White recently told Barstool Sports’ Robbie Fox that it “makes sense” for Volkanovski to get a crack at becoming a simultaneous two-division champion.
“The Great” is currently in Abu Dhabi, UAE and he’s said on multiple occasions that he’s the promotion’s backup plan should either Charles Oliveira or Islam Makhachev not make it to the cage for their lightweight title tilt on Saturday during UFC 280.
Cejudo Said He’s a ‘Little Pissed’ About Volkanovski Potentially Fighting for the Lightweight Strap Next, Said He’s ‘Satisfied’ if He Doesn’t Fight Again
With Volkanovski seemingly wrapped up for the next few months, Cejudo has cast doubt on his UFC return.
Cejudo pointed to the UFC returning to Australia – Volkanovski’s home country – in February as a potential date for a 145-pound title shot against The Great. But, the chances of that happening may be slim following the news of Volkanovski’s presumed upcoming 155-pound championship contest.
“[I’m] a little pissed, a little down, I guess you could say it,” Cejudo said recently on his YouTube channel via MMA Mania. “It just only gives me one option. Maybe I could fight Alexander in Australia? That’s the only thing that I could think of. And if it is meant to be that I’ll never fight again for that reason if they’re just gonna stall me out like that then that’s all there is to it.
“I’m satisfied,” Triple C continued. “I’m full with my career. Me making a comeback was just to make history. Like yeah, I did talk a lot of s—t to Dana [White]. But I still respect the crap out of [him]. Even if I never ever fight again. I just want you to know that from the bottom of my heart.”
Cejudo Said He Only Wants to Fight for UFC Gold, But Willing to Take on Ex-Featherweight Champ Max Holloway
Although he has his sights firmly set on battling for a championship in his return fight, Cejudo also admitted that he’d take a match with former featherweight champion Max Holloway.
“I just won’t fight for anything other than gold,” Cejudo said. “‘GSP’s’ [Georges St-Pierre] had the opportunity. A lot of people who have came back and have won the belts like Brock Lesnar. I put myself not only in that category but even beyond that. I defended both my belts and if that’s how it is with ‘Uncle Dana’ then that’s what it is and I can literally say goodbye and I’m okay with that.
“I would still love to make history, I’ll still be ready at whatever point in time, but I’m just a bit bummed out to be quite honest.
“[A Max Holloway fight] would be the only fight prior to a Volkanovski fight [I’d take],” he added. “Like, hey, man, just give me the biggest, baddest dude that people think that he can beat me that I’d like to prove myself with. Other than that, I don’t want to fight Yair [Rodriguez].
“I love that dude, he’s got a lot of good talent, I don’t want to fight a lot of these guys. I want to fight the best, I want to prove myself. If I go the Holloway route, I’m up for that.”