LOS ANGELES – Coach Eric Albarracin says Henry Cejudo’s top priority, and reason why he’ll return to the UFC, is capturing a third title belt.
Cejudo, the former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion, retired in May 2020 after a win over Dominick Cruz. But “Triple C” announced on Monday that he has re-entered the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency drug-testing pool with the hope of challenging featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski upon his return.
Despite Volkanovski (24-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) not being keen to face Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), Albarracin sees the fight happening.
“It takes a legend to beat a legend, and the ultimate legend is back,” Albarracin told MMA Junkie. “The greatest combat athlete of all time is coming back to prove that he is the greatest combat athlete of all time. He’s going for that third belt and Alex Volkanovski, I don’t know why he doesn’t want to fight the greatest combat athlete of all time, but we’re gonna make that fight happen. When Cejudo sets his mind to something, there’s no stopping Henry Cejudo. ‘Triple C’ will become ‘C4’ this year. Bet the house. We’re coming after that Kiwi Alex Volkanovski.”
Volkanovski, who hasn’t lost since his fourth professional fight in 2013, is on a 21-fight overall winning streak. That includes 11 in the UFC after he outclassed and dominated Chan Sung Jung this past Saturday at UFC 273 for the third defense of his 145-pound title.
“Nobody has given Alex the competition that he need, and Henry may call him average, but I do think he is great, and I’ll give him that, but he ain’t the greatest combat athlete of all time,” Albarracin said. “That title belongs to Henry Cejudo and if you want that title, you gotta beat Henry Cejudo.”
Albarracin said Cejudo won’t stop at 145-pound gold, either, as he also would like to reclaim the bantamweight title that he relinquished when he retired.
“The clear target is Alex Volkanovski and then maybe go back down and get his bantamweight belt,” Albarracin said. “Come on, you’re gonna have T.J. Dillashaw fight for the title? Henry knocked him out in 32 seconds. That’s still Henry’s belt. He never lost that belt, so the ‘Funkmaster,’ T.J. Dillashaw, after ‘Triple C’ becomes ‘C4’ when he takes out Volkanovski, he’s gonna come after those two, as well.”
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