Aljamain Sterling calls Henry Cejudo a "Little Weasel" as he calls off his fight

After withdrawing from UFC 292, UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling sent a less-than-supportive message to Henry Cejudo.

UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling in a file photo [Image-ufc.com]
By Blesson Daniel | Jul 1, 2023 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

After withdrawing from UFC 292, UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling sent a less-than-supportive message to Henry Cejudo.

Cejudo was scheduled to meet Marlon Vera in a three-round fight on August 19th at UFC 292. However, he announced on Thursday that he sustained a shoulder injury that will necessitate prolonged rehabilitation, putting his UFC 292 booking on hold.

Cejudo would have made his second Octagon debut after a three-year hiatus. He returned in the main event of UFC 288 to challenge Sterling for the bantamweight title but was defeated by a split decision.

Tensions between Sterling and Cejudo were high in the days preceding their fight, but everything looked to be well afterward. Sterling’s recent statements regarding a speedy turnaround to battle Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 soured their relationship once more.

After hearing about Henry Cejudo’s injury, Aljamain Sterling mocks him

Sterling discussed his former opponent’s injuries on a recent edition of his podcast, The Weekly Scraps.

“Henry Cejudo is out of this fight. ‘The savage!’ Remember that? The savage? Texting Dana [White] saying, ‘If that little p**** doesn’t want to fight, I’ll take the fight?’ Isn’t it funny how the roles are reversed now and this ‘little savage’ is no longer a savage? Very interesting,” Sterling said. “For me, I call that being a dirty little weasel. You try to disparage my name in front of the fans and make it seem like I don’t want to fight, whatever, ‘the fight wasn’t that bad of a fight so you should be able to turn around.’ Guys, I’m telling you from experience, from a championship experience, defending multiple times… it’s very, very different getting ready for 25 minutes versus 15 minutes…”

“Henry wanted to be this big, bad tough guy and lie to the fans and make it seem like he was in it to win it, yay! But now look. Instead you look like an ass clown trying to pretend you’re something that you’re not. You’re human, bro. I’m human. I at least disclosed up front because I didn’t want to rob the fans of their hard-earned money, because I wanted to check out my injuries, and I fought you with my injuries prior to coming into the octagon! So who is really the savage? Who is really built like that? Because clearly, my man, it ain’t you. Respectfully.” – ht- MMA Fighting

Cejudo held the bantamweight and flyweight belts concurrently until retiring at UFC 249. At UFC 238, he defeated Marlon Moraes for the then-vacant bantamweight title.

It’s unclear how long Cejudo will be out with his shoulder injury, but he might miss the remainder of the season. Sterling isn’t holding back as he heals from his erstwhile rival’s defeat.

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