Although an unexpected injury prevented Henry Cejudo from participating in UFC 292 at the eleventh hour, his absence did not deter him from offering important insights to Aljamain Sterling. Drawing from his wealth of experience, Triple C shared crucial suggestions with Sterling on how to defeat Sean O’Malley.
Earlier in May, Henry Cejudo ended his retirement after three years to make a comeback and fight for the bantamweight title. Despite his defeat against the Funk Master, the former two-division champion is far from finished with his UFC journey.
Henry Cejudo leaks Aljamain Sterling DM
A few days following UFC 292, Cejudo released a video in which he showed the precise advice he had given to Aljamain on how to secure victory. Cejudo’s screenshots revealed that it was Sterling who reached out by saying, “What are you expecting him to do tomorrow night? Might as well ask for your opinion.”
“He’s going to counter you or move like crazy. He doesn’t have the ability to stick to the center (strength). Stick to your gameplan push him against the cage easy money.” Cejudo replied.
Aljamain Sterling DM’d Henry Cejudo before UFC 292 to ask for advice. 👀 Here are the messages ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/hgEMFjmUPZ
— MMA Gone Wild🥋 (@mmagonewild) August 22, 2023
The former bantamweight titleholder indeed provided highly precise advice to The Funk Master. In fact, had Sterling fully followed Cejudo’s recommendations, the outcome at TD Garden in Boston might have turned out differently.
“Defense is number 1, Hands up and close [distance] right away. He’ll be dangerous in the beginning of 1 and 2 but don’t give him that. Don’t react to his fakes. He starts his game like that. If you go away, he starts to figure out his distance.” Cejudo added.
Fans debate over Cejudo’s chance in potential Sean O’Malley fight
Fans responded with wonder to Cejudo’s strategic approach to defeat Sean. Many MMA enthusiasts shared the idea that Triple C could be the ideal candidate to challenge Sugar in an upcoming bout, given his remarkable ability to anticipate Sean’s moves.
The screenshots shared by Triple C concluded with Cejudo extending good wishes to Aljo. Unfortunately, Sterling’s loss can be seen as his inability to close the distance effectively, leaving room for Sugar to land a precise punch that ultimately resulted in his knockout defeat.
I’m telling that Sean vs Cejudo fight will be competitive and not a shut out, but Sean wins because he’s in his prime with momentum
— Professional MMA Fighter (@ProfessionalMM4) August 22, 2023
The Olympic Gold Medalist is currently far from being in consideration for a title fight. Sean has already issued a challenge to Marlon Chito Vera. Even beyond Chito, considering rankings and overall record, Merab Dvalishvili also appears to be a deserving candidate for a title opportunity.
Do you think Henry Cejudo will ever reclaim the bantamweight title again? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section.
