Seen on:
as known from New York Timesas known from USA Todayas known from yahoo!
VA
The Grueling Truth - Where Legends Speak / Latest MMA News & Rumors: Tailored for You / UFC: Petr Yan calls out Henry Cejudo’s return from brief retirement

UFC: Petr Yan calls out Henry Cejudo’s return from brief retirement

Publish Date: 06/20/2022
Fact checked by: Mike Goodpaster

There have been a number of publicized bouts involving the elite bantamweights division in the last few weeks, but Petr “No Mercy” Yan seems intent on fighting an opponent who is not currently ranked in the UFC. Check out the best bookmakers for betting on MMA!

While the division’s top contenders have been paired up, Yan wants a big fight after losing to Aljamain Sterling in April’s UFC 273 championship unification match. Sterling is scheduled to defend his title against T.J. Dillashaw at the upcoming UFC 279 in September. Cory Sandhagen and Song Yadong, as well as Marlon Vera and Dominick Cruz, are all set to face off against one another in that upcoming match.

Check out the top sportsbooks for betting on MMA

DraftKings
4.6/5
DraftKings Review
Bet $5 and Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
T&Cs and 21+ apply
Bet now
FanDuel
4.6/5
FanDuel Review
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins!
T&Cs and 21+ apply
Bet now
BetMGM
4.5/5
BetMGM Review
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
T&Cs and 21+ apply
Bet now

Yan expresses his intention to fight Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo, a world-class fighter who has just returned to the USADA pool after ending his retirement.

“Hey Henry Cejudo, you talked a lot when you were ‘retired,’” the 29-year-old wrote. “Now it’s time to back it up.”

Few were surprised, though, when Cejudo accepted Yan’s dare and the two engaged in a Twitter spat.

“Only if you had the gold I would have loved to have buried,” Cejudo wrote.

Following his successful championship defense in May 2020 against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249, Cejudo announced his retirement, stressing a desire to be compensated fairly. UFC President Dana White made the announcement during the post-fight news conference that Yan will be challenging for the vacant title in his next fight.

Two months later, at UFC 251, Yan stopped José Aldo in the fifth round to win the bantamweight belt Cejudo had relinquished. However, his debut title defense terminated in debate when he improperly kneed challenger Sterling, leading to Sterling’s disqualification. In spite of his triumph over Sandhagen and the subsequent interim belt and championship chance at UFC 273, Yan was defeated by Sterling via split decision.

“The truth is you retired the day I became number 1 contender and unretired on the same day I ceased to be the champion. Now you ducking me again only proving those facts,” Yan replied.

Cejudo used the chance to attack the reigning bantamweight champion, Sterling, and bash Yan as well.

“You know I’m getting the title shoot next,” Cejudo wrote.

Cejudo’s return

At age 35, Cejudo won the UFC flyweight title in 2018 and successfully defended it just before moving up to the challenge for the vacant bantamweight crown. After winning that belt and defending it once, he decided to retire because he didn’t like the UFC’s financial offer.

Cejudo has spent his retirement teaching boxing at his Scottsdale, Arizona gym. A number of current and previous champions, such as Jon Jones, Deiveson Figueiredo, Zhang Weili, Cris Cyborg, and more, have joined the roster of the 2008 Olympic wrestling gold medalist.

Speculation over the Olympic gold medalist’s return to the cage has been sparked by his recent readmission to the USADA testing pool to end Cejudo’s two years retirement. According to the UFC’s anti-doping protocol, fighters must undergo random drug testing for a minimum of six months before being reinstated into competition.

Check out the top sportsbook bonuses for betting on MMA

DraftKings
1.
4.6/5
Bet $5 and Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
USA
USA Players Welcome
Min. Deposit: 5
Open DraftKings
Get bonus now
T&Cs and 21+ apply
FanDuel
2.
4.6/5
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins!
USA
USA Players Welcome
Wagering (WR): 1x Deposit, Min. Deposit: $5
Open FanDuel
Get bonus now
T&Cs and 21+ apply
BetMGM
3.
4.5/5
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
USA
USA Players Welcome
Min. Deposit: $5
Open BetMGM
Get bonus now
T&Cs and 21+ apply
Bet365
4.
4.5/5
Get $150 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose when you bet $5!
USA
USA Players Welcome
Wagering (WR): 1x Bonus, Min. Deposit: $10
Open Bet365
Get bonus now
Subject to meeting qualifying criteria. Minimum wager $5. Minimum odds -500 or greater. $10 minimum deposit. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. New customers only. Available in app only. Max. prize, game restrictions, time limits and T&Cs apply. Deposit required. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
Caesars
5.
4.5/5
Bet $1, Double Your Winnings Your Next 10 Bets
USA
USA Players Welcome
Wagering (WR): 1x Deposit
Copy
Get bonus now
T&Cs and 21+ apply
Read Also
Esteban de Jesus, Roberto Duran y AIDS (1972-89)
Many of us dream of celebrity sports fame, but only cruel individuals ...
Indiana Basketball Weekly
Welcome to Indiana Basketball Weekly, your dedicated podcast for all things Indiana ...
Bet365 Promo
UFC 280 Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev: Preview and Predictions
🥊 UFC Match:Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev 📅 Date: October 20th, 2022 🕛 Main Event Time: ...
Michael Nunn and Iran Barkley Discuss Their Bout, Bob Arum, and the Four Kings
Mountains to Climb, Pebbles in Your Shoe “I always say that was ...
Sam Teets 2021 NFL three-round predictive mock draft 6.0
This is a predictive NFL mock draft and my final of the ...
NFL Draft 2021: Sam Teets’ top 100 prospects big board
The 2021 NFL Draft is less than a month away, meaning it’s ...
Peter Maher: An Irish Tribute
INTRO: I was seriously ill in 2018 with 7 nights in the ...
Ranking the top 200 players in the NFL ahead of the 2021 season
This list isn’t based solely on performances from the 2020 NFL season. ...
Lady Tyger’s Tale: How Marian Trimiar Mauled the Boxing Establishment of the 1970s and 80s
To Feed the Ambition in Your Heart is Like Carrying a Tiger ...
The Forgotten Canadian Champion (And Maybe It’s Deserved): Billy Hawkins
As Mike Goodpaster and I prepare our popular Old-Time Boxing Show podcast, ...
Latest News
Blinding Heat, Silent Warning: The J.R. Richard Tragedy
​James Rodney "J.R." Richard was one of the ...
Pugnis Infra Lineam: The Lowdown on Low Blows in Boxing
The impending rematch and heavyweight unification fight between ...
Weekend Preview & Picks for ESPN, DAZN, & ProBox Bouts
Let’s begin this preview and predictions article by ...
Weekend snoozefest – Garcia, Haney, and Canelo induce sleep, Lopez reta...
"The fans want to see good fights. Let's go." ...
Top Betting Sites
Top Betting Bonuses
DraftKings
DraftKings
DraftKings Review
4.6/5
FanDuel
4.6/5
BetMGM
4.5/5
Bet365
4.5/5
Caesars
4.5/5
DraftKings
DraftKings Promo
Bet $5 and Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
FanDuel
FanDuel Promo
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins!
T&Cs apply
4.6/5
BetMGM
BetMGM Promo
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Bet365
Bet365 Promo
Get $150 in Bonus Bets Win or Lose when you bet $5!
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Subject to meeting qualifying criteria. Minimum wager $5. Minimum odds -500 or greater. $10 minimum deposit. Paid in Bonus Bets. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. New customers only. Available in app only. Max. prize, game restrictions, time limits and T&Cs apply. Deposit required. Bonus Bets wager excluded from returns. T&Cs, time limits and exclusions apply.Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler 21+
Caesars
Caesars Promo
Bet $1, Double Your Winnings Your Next 10 Bets
T&Cs apply
4.5/5
Our Team
Mike GoodpasterJosh SchwartzSimon BriffaMark LewisSamuel Teets
+8
Mike Goodpaster
Mike Goodpaster
Chief Editor
Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
Editor
Simon Briffa
Simon Briffa
Sports Editor
Mark Lewis
Mark Lewis
Editor
Samuel Teets
Samuel Teets
US Sports Veteran
Author Icon
drjaygee
Editor
Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week....
Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week....

21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

This site is using Cloudflare and adheres to the Google Safe Browsing Program. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times.
Virginia Town HallCloudflareSSL
Close
Our Sports Pros recommend these awesome sports betting sites this week:
DraftKings
DraftKings Promo
Bet $5 and Get $200 in Bonus Bets Instantly!
T&Cs and 21+ apply
Code:
Open DraftKings
Get Bonus
FanDuel
FanDuel Promo
Bet $5 Get $200 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins!
T&Cs and 21+ apply
Code:
Open FanDuel
Get Bonus
BetMGM
BetMGM Promo
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
T&Cs and 21+ apply
Code:
Open BetMGM
Get Bonus
×
Your Promo Code:
The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link:
Play now