Report | Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo targeted for UFC 284 in Australia

The UFC is reportedly targeting Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo for February in Australia.

‘Funk Master’ is fresh off his title defense against TJ Dillashaw last Saturday in Las Vegas. At UFC 280, Sterling dominated the former champion and won by second-round TKO. The victory came after Dillashaw dislocated his shoulder in the opening minutes of the contest.

Following the victory, UFC president Dana White discussed the bantamweight division. At the post-fight press conference, the promoter suggested bringing back Henry Cejudo and giving him the next title shot.

The comments came out of nowhere, given that ‘Triple C’ had been retired since May 2020. Although Cejudo had unretired earlier this year and joined the USADA testing pool, the UFC had already a title eliminator matchup. Minutes before Sterling defeated Dillashaw, Sean O’Malley edged out Petr Yan by a split decision.

Despite the promotion stating that ‘Sugar’ would get a title shot with a win, it appears that will not be the case. On The MMA Hour, Ariel Helwani shed light on the bantamweight division, and what could next for the champion.

According to the veteran MMA journalist, the UFC is currently targeting Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo for UFC 284. The deal is far from done based on Helwani’s comments. However, Cejudo would likely be down, given his recent comments about returning to the cage.

Image via @henrycejudo on Instagram (photographer not listed)

If the matchup is made, it just bolsters what is likely to be an incredible pay-per-view event. Already announced for the card is Robert Whittaker’s return to Australia. ‘The Reaper’ is set to meet Paulo Costa at the event.

Also rumored for the event is a lightweight championship clash between Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volkanovski. Given this fight news, it appears that Australian fans might get two title fights in February.

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