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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) president, Dana White, is not ready to make a commitment on the next bantamweight title contender, now that Henry Cejudo has disposed of Marlon Moraes and turned the division upside down.
Not that he’s in any rush to put the belt up for grabs.
Probably because Cejudo will first have to return to the flyweight division to lay his 125-pound strap on the line against top contender, Joseph Benavidez, once “Triple C” returns from his extended injury layoff.
“Joe (Benavidez), yeah,” White told TMZ Sports. “Next he should defend that title. He would go to 125, defend that title, then we would decide who he fights next. As long as Cejudo is willing to defend both titles, I think he is a guy who can carry both of them, both divisions.”
Benavidez topped Cejudo by split decision back in late 2016.
I’m sure that will come as a disappointment to bantamweight contenders like Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan. “Funk Master” and “No Mercy” are ranked No. 2 and No. 4 at 135 pounds, respectively, and must now deal with the return of Urijah Faber.
While Faber certainly looked good against Ricky Simon last weekend in Sacramento (video), it makes more sense to have Sterling and Yan collide later this year, with the winner moving on to face Cejudo when he returns to bantamweight at some point in 2020.