‘Henry Cejudo sweepstakes’ take a hilarious turn with this video callout of Jose Aldo

It appears Jose Aldo is the frontrunner in the “Henry Cejudo sweepstakes” even though he lost at UFC 245.

It appears [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] is the frontrunner in the “[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] sweepstakes.”

On Sunday afternoon, the UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion issued a challenge to “The King of Rio – all of this coming in a hilarious video from “Triple C” poolside (watch above).

Emerging from the water, Cejudo joins three women. Two of the females are holding his UFC belts, while the other was fanning him with a palm leaf.

Cejudo’s first point of action was to let it be known he’s turning his attention away from former batnamweight champ Dominick Cruz. In months prior, Cejudo had mentioned Cruz would be one of his main targets.

“So upon my return, I really did want to fight Dominick Cruz,” Cejudo said into the camera. “But I thought about it, and he’s too brittle. If I was to tell Dominick Cruz to bend the knee, he’d pop his damn neck out. But I’m not here to talk about Dominick.”

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Instead, Cejudo issued a challenge to Aldo, who dropped a split decision to Marlon Moraes at UFC 245. Many believed the fight should have been scored in Aldo’s favor.

“I’m here to talk about Jose ‘Waldo,'” Cejudo said, borrowing Max Holloway’s nickname for Aldo. “I want to give him a clap (for) his last performance, because a lot of people thought he won. I want to congratulate him, because now he’s part of the Henry Cejudo sweepstakes.

“But it’s under my terms. I want to fight him in my city, Rio de Janeiro. Daddy’s coming home. Dana White, let’s sign that contract. Oh, and one last thing: Your movie sucks.”

Good news for Cejudo: It appears he’s not the only one interested in the potential showdown with Aldo. Following the conclusion of UFC 245, Dana White voiced his openness to the fight happening.

What do you think of Cejudo next defending his 135-pound title against Aldo coming off a loss? Vote in our poll below:

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The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Dana White down to give Jose Aldo title shot vs. Henry Cejudo despite UFC 245 loss

Jose Aldo didn’t get the win at UFC 245, but his performance could still get him a title shot against Henry Cejudo.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] didn’t get the win at UFC 245, but his performance could still get him a title shot against [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag].

Aldo (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC), a former longtime featherweight champ, suffered a split decision loss to Marlon Moraes in his bantamweight debut on Saturday. It was a narrow decision, but the nod did not go Aldo’s way.

Despite that, though, Dana White might give Aldo a title shot. The UFC president revealed post-fight that 135-pound champ Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) texted him asking for the matchup, and he’s willing to make it happen.

“Henry Cejudo texted me tonight and said, ‘That’s bull(expletive). He didn’t lose that fight. He won that fight, and I want to treat him like he did,'” White told reporters at the UFC 245 post-fight news conference. “He wants to fight Jose Aldo.”

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White said he thinks Aldo should’ve gotten the nod in the decision against Moraes, which was part of the UFC 245 pay-per-view main card at T-Mobile Arena. Still, though, criticism about considering Aldo for a title shot quickly poured in.

Cejudo is the UFC champion at both bantamweight and flyweight. The dual-champ has been out of action since June due to shoulder surgery, and White has previously said Cejudo’s return will be against Joseph Benavidez at 125 pounds.

There also are worthy contenders at 135 pounds, such as Petr Yan, who improved to 6-0 in the octagon at UFC 245. But White appears to be considering Aldo as the new frontrunner.

“I don’t hate it. I don’t hate it,” White said. “Cejudo is the man right now. If you look at what Cejudo has accomplished, if he says, ‘I want Jose Aldo. I think Jose Aldo won’ … I think Jose Aldo won the fight. Most of the room thought he won. If he wants Jose Aldo next, we could do it. I don’t have a problem with it. I’m sure people would want to see it.”

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Callout Collection: Who UFC 245 winners want next – and how likely they’ll get them

Petr Yan and Marlon Moraes were among those with specific names in mind for their next fight after UFC 245.

Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.

So after Saturday’s UFC 245 event in Las Vegas, who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.

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Petr Yan

Wants to fight: [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag]

The callout: “I want next fight (Henry) Cejudo – title shot. Where (are you), ‘Triple Clown’? Where?”

The reality: [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) may not be the most well-known name in the bantamweight division, but he might just be the most dangerous. Yan looked fantastic in a methodical destruction of UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber, patiently picking him apart with his crisp punches and slick movement until a perfectly placed high kick sent “The California Kid” crashing to the canvas 43 seconds into the third round. Afterward, Yan even used his mic time to call out UFC double champ Henry Cejudo.

“Triple C” has made it clear he wants to defend his bantamweight on his return from injury, shooting for March or April, turning his attention to flyweight at a later date. Aljamain Sterling owns a four-fight winning streak of his own and is 6-1 in his last seven fights, but with “The Funkmaster” on the sidelines since June, Yan may have grabbed the momentum needed to score a title shot.

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Marlon Moraes

Wants to fight: [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]

The callout: “I would like to fight Dominick Cruz or Sterling. I don’t like Sterling at all, and I would love to take his chance to ever fight for the title, you know? That’s it. That’s the two names I have on my mind right now.”

The reality: OK, listen – so [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) technically said he would be happy to fight Aljamain Sterling or [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag], but let’s be clear: When you say you want to make sure you beat someone so that they never have a chance to fight for the title, that’s going to turn some heads. That’s a professional and personal challenge.

Moraes can’t fight for the title right now. He just lost to current champ Henry Cejudo this past summer. Sterling has been battling through injuries while waiting for this shot at the belt, but after Saturday’s event, it seems he may be behind both Petr Yan and Jose Aldo. So what does that mean for Sterling? Well, it means he probably should go ahead and take on Moraes in a battle that has long been brewing beneath the surface.

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Dana White talks Jose Aldo, Henry Cejudo’s next desired title defense

Happy with new contract, Urijah Faber hopes he’ll jump line to Henry Cejudo after UFC 245

After successfully returning from retirement, Urijah Faber got what he wanted from UFC president Dana White before continuing his comeback.

WASHINGTON – After successfully returning from retirement earlier this year, UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] wanted one thing before agreeing to continue his comeback tour: a better contract.

It took a bit of time, but ultimately Faber (35-10 MMA, 11-6 UFC) got his wish, and that’s why he’s fighting Petr Yan (13-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 245, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN2 and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

“I had a great conversation (with UFC president Dana White), and he’s always been fair to me, and my deal was an old deal,” Faber told MMA Junkie. “It was three or four years old. I’m not sure how they operate these days on what you make, but I think (we reached) a fair deal. My thing was, I told (matchmaker) Sean Shelby, ‘I’ll fight whoever you guys want, but let’s just make it right.’ Then I talked to Dana, and we got it worked out.”

Faber said he wasn’t kidding about his willingness to fight anyone, and he thinks the matchups proves it. He said he was presented with multiple opponent options, but he left it up to White and Shelby to make the final decision.

“Sean Shelby only offered me that originally, and I said, ‘I’ll fight whoever you want, just let’s make the thing right (with my contract),'” Faber said. “Then when I spoke to Dana he offered me about four different fights. I said, ‘Guys, I don’t care. I like to fight.’ He said, ‘This is what it looks like with you in the picture as far as getting close to the title.’ He gave me two names, and I said, ‘Whatever you guys want.’ This is the one they wanted.”

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Of all the bantamweight contenders, Yan is arguably the most dangerous yet least known to the mainstream audience. The Russian, who is No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, is on a roll. Beating him would prove that Faber, despite being 40, is still at the very top of the heap in terms of the division’s best.

“The California Kid” said he’s not expecting this return from retirement to last very long. For that reason, he’s aiming to reach the top and do it quickly. In Faber’s mind, beating Yan is the perfect launch pad into a title fight with dual UFC champ [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC).

“He’s a very dangerous opponent,” Faber said. “I don’t think he’s afraid to wrestle, I don’t think he’s afraid to do jiu-jitsu, but I think he’ll be looking for the knockout. He’s good at the pressure, so he likes to push a fast pace. So do I. I think it’s going to be a who is the better guy on the night. He’s lucky I’m 40, otherwise I don’t even know if we’d be having this fight. I’m going to put it on him. I’m going to get the W, and I’m going to be one step closer to that Henry Cejudo fight.

“Petr Yan, whether people know him or not, in my opinion, is one of the toughest guys in the division. He’s super dangerous, he’s well rounded, he’s young. Taking him out, just stepping in front of him is the thing to do to get right in front. … I’m going to get in, try to get to the front of the line and see how that goes.”

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MMA Junkie Radio #3003: On Shevchenko vs. Chookagian, Adesanya-Costa feud, more

Hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” break down the latest MMA news and notes, from fights booked to feuds ramping up.

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On episode 3,002 of the podcast, the guys break down the latest MMA news and notes.

The rundown

UFC women’s flyweight champion [autotag]Valentina Shevchenko[/autotag] has her next title defense lined up, and it’ll happen against [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag] on Feb. 8 in Houston. We offer our thoughts on the matchup and ponder Shevchenko’s status as one of the all-time great female fighters.
Did you see that [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] is set to fight … [autotag]Ilir Latifi[/autotag]? Latifi recently announced his move up to heavyweight from light heavyweight, and that’s one hell of an introduction to the division.
Question: Would [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] have a better shot in a rematch with UFC light heavyweight champion [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] than Alexander Gustafsson did his second time around? We discuss.
Good news: [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] is on schedule with his recovery to return soon. Bad news: We still have no idea which UFC title he’ll defend first – flyweight or bantamweight. Whose decision is it, and what will ultimately be decided?
[autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] ranted about UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag] this week and called him a “p***y African.” That … might be racist?
A potential fight between [autotag]Jason Knight[/autotag] and [autotag]Paulie Malignaggi[/autotag] in either boxing or bare knuckle: Is that something we want to see?
[autotag]Josh Thomson[/autotag] wants to run it back with [autotag]Gilbert Melendez[/autotag] for a fourth time, and lobbies for Bellator to make it happen. Are we into it?

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at AudioBoom, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

MMA injury report: Stephen Thompson avoids surgery; Henry Cejudo on schedule

The latest in notable MMA injuries, including updates on Stephen Thompson, Dustin Poirier, Henry Cejudo, and more.

It’s no secret that MMA is a grueling sport. Injuries occur everywhere from the training room to the cage, and sometimes even beyond that.

Injuries can cause the best set plans to fall by the wayside, derail careers or worse. Still, though, the overwhelming majority of fighters overcome their physical setbacks and eventually find their way back to competition.

Below MMA Junkie tracks the latest in notable MMA injuries, including updates on former interim UFC lightweight champ Dustin Poirier, multi-time UFC title challenger Stephen Thompson, dual UFC champ Henry Cejudo and more.

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Stephen Thompson

Former two-time UFC welterweight title challenger [autotag]Stephen Thompson[/autotag] (15-4-1 MMA, 10-4-1 UFC) confirmed to MMA Junkie that he will not require surgery on either hand after damaging them in his “Fight of the Night” victory over Vicente Luque at UFC 244, news that was first reported by MMA Fighting.

According to “Wonderboy,” he is still dealing with some pain and swelling in both hands, but a doctor confirmed no operation will be necessary. Thompson expects his hands to be healed within eight weeks, and at that point he can begin looking at his next fight.

Dustin Poirier

Former UFC interim lightweight champion [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (26-6 MMA, 17-5 UFC) is engaging in daily physical therapy sessions after undergoing hip surgery Oct. 24 to repair a lingering injury.

“The Diamond” told MMA Junkie his rehab is currently on track, and Poirier is targeting a return to the octagon in March against a high-profile opponent in the lightweight or welterweight division.

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