According to Chael Sonnen, a former UFC fighter and current MMA analyst, the showdown between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley at UFC 288 could have altered Henry Cejudo retirement decision.
Cejudo made a comeback bid for a UFC title in his fight against Sterling but was unsuccessful, losing via split decision after going all five rounds with the current UFC Bantamweight Champion.
Following his victory over Henry, Sterling turned his attention towards his next likely opponent, Sean O’Malley, who was present at the event. The two had a heated post-fight confrontation, and it is expected that they will fight later this year.
During the faceoff, Cejudo was seen with his gloves off, leading many to speculate that he was contemplating retirement. However, minutes later, he spoke with Joe Rogan during his post-fight Octagon interview and appeared uncertain about his future in the sport.
Henry is a former UFC Bantamweight and Flyweight Champion, and his decision to retire in 2020 came as a surprise to many. He has been known to make controversial statements in the past, and his latest actions at UFC 288 have only fueled rumors about his return to the Octagon.
While it remains unclear whether Cejudo will make a comeback, his presence at UFC 288 and the events that transpired during the Sterling-O’Malley faceoff have certainly generated excitement among MMA fans.
Chael Sonnen voices his opinion on Henry Cejudo and his retirement plans
Chael recently made an appearance on The MMA Hour, during which he offered a possible explanation for Cejudo’s sudden reconsideration of retirement.
“He was gonna retire,” Sonnen began. “He took the gloves off, in that moment, he was retired. They took too long to get to him. In between him deciding he was gonna retire and finally getting it in, imagine being Henry…you’re in the ring, your heart is broken, gloves in hand, you’re gonna throw them down and walk away the right way…you’re sitting there and looking ‘I want this. I want all of this and I want all of them’. He changed his mind.”
In the past few days, Henry has challenged Aljamain Sterling’s teammate, Merab Dvalishvili, indicating that his sudden desire to fight again is genuine, despite having taken off his gloves just days earlier.
Prior to his fight against Sterling, Cejudo announced his retirement after securing a dominant victory over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249, where he also won the vacant bantamweight championship by defeating Marlon Moraes.
While Henry’s future in the sport has been uncertain, it appears that he may not be ready to hang up his gloves just yet. Chael Sonnen believes that Cejudo’s impromptu decision to have Sterling and O’Malley face off at UFC 288 may have played a role in his decision to return to the Octagon.
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