A bantamweight title fight between reigning champion Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo is currently targeted for the upcoming UFC 287 card on April 8.
Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Wednesday, though no contracts have been issued or signed at this stage. UFC 287, is the target audience for this fight, but Sterling said that he still has a torn right bicep and will need additional rehabilitation to be able to return to fighting.
Assuming Sterling is cleared to participate and is healthy, Sterling will be defending his title against Cejudo in April.
The UFC has been working on the bantamweight title fight for some time after both fighters confirmed the matchup was expected to take place in 2023. There were rumors that it might take place in March. However, Sterling’s injury later led to any possible matchup being pushed back.
Sterling seeks his third title defense and ninth in a row after defeating Petr Yan (previously defeated by T.J. Dillashaw.
Cejudo’s first UFC appearance since 2020,, when he suddenly retired from the sport and gave up his bantamweight title after beating Dominick Cruz. Cejudo was previously a UFC two-division champion and held both the flyweight title as well as the bantamweight.
Now, the Olympic gold medalist in wrestling seeks to reclaim the title with the fight against Sterling.
As of now, UFC 287 does not have a location, so it remains to be seen where the event will take place, though several bouts have already been confirmed for the card.
Mike Heck contributed to this report
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/1/25/23571264/aljamain-sterling-vs-henry-cejudo-targeted-for-ufc-287-on-april-8?rand=96749
