Henry Cejudo is about for his UFC return in 2025.
The previous dual-champion will tackle Tune Yadong at Seattle’s Local weather Pledge Enviornment on February 23.
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“We have now not been to Seattle in 12 years!” White mentioned on X as he posted an image of the cardboard. “I’ll see you quickly UFC Seattle.”
Cejudo is contemporary off consecutive losses to Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili after a persistent shoulder harm and stunning announcement stored him out for 3 years.
On his return to MMA, Cejudo misplaced the possibility to safe bantamweight gold for the second time when he fought Sterling in Might 2023, following a bombshell announcement that he was retiring after knocking out Dominick Cruz at UFC 249.
‘Triple C’ is without doubt one of the most profitable UFC fighters of all time, having held each the UFC flyweight and bantamweight titles in 2019.
Cejudo battled Demetrious Johnson for his first likelihood at UFC gold in his fourth combat for Dana White’s promotion in 2016 however was knocked out after receiving a number of devastating knees.
Nonetheless, two years later he fought his manner again to a title shot and beat Johnson by split-decision after 5 rounds at UFC 227.
He then defended his brand-new UFC flyweight title in opposition to TJ Dillashaw earlier than claiming the bantamweight belt in opposition to Marlon Moraes and retaining it in opposition to Cruz.
This combat announcement comes just a few weeks after UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov prompt Cejudo’s subsequent transfer in White’s promotion.
“There isn’t any different choice for [Alexandre] Pantoja. There isn’t any combat,” he advised Cejudo.
“I believe if they need some large combat for this weight class, they should make this: Cejudo vs Pantoja.”
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Though his combat with Yadong is at bantamweight, Cejudo has beforehand teased a return to flyweight.
He vacated each of the flyweight and bantamweight titles after retiring in 2020.
Alexandre Pantoja defended his flyweight title at UFC 310 in opposition to Kai Asakura in December and proceeded to name out Johnson after the bout to ‘show you are the GOAT’.
Johnson hasn’t fought within the UFC since dropping his flyweight title to Cejudo in August 2017, and confirmed within the aftermath of UFC 310 that he would not be making a return.
This had quite a few MMA followers pondering that the one different appropriate different could be somebody like ‘Triple C’.
Nurmagomedov pressed Cejudo on if he could make flyweight as soon as once more, as he would little doubt should endure a brutal weight lower to make the 125-pound title combat restrict.
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“Yeah, I could make it,” Cejudo mentioned. “It is simply a number of self-discipline. I’ve bought to perhaps quick for like every week, lose a very good 10 kilos, after which from there simply be on a strict weight-reduction plan.
“With solely water, I believe I might lose about 15 kilos.”
Cejudo goes into the combat with Yadong because the No.7 ranked bantamweight within the UFC’s official rankings, which is one place above his Chinese language counterpart.
Elsewhere on the UFC Struggle Card in Seattle, No.9 ranked bantamweight Rob Font takes on Cruz, who returns to MMA after a three-year hiatus.
Edson Barboza faces Steve Garcia in a featherweight bout and Jean Silva takes on Melsik Baghdasaryan in the identical division.
In the meantime, No.9 ranked middleweight Brendan Allen faces Anthony Hernandez and No.5 ranked heavyweight Curtis Blaydes, who’s one among few MMA fighters with a victory over Tom Aspinall, challenges Russia’s Rizvan Kuniev.
UFC Struggle Night time 252 marks the primary time White’s promotion has returned to Seattle since July 2013.