Henry Cejudo won the UFC bantamweight championship then promptly retired, so the league took measures to find the next champion. Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

UFC strips Henry Cejudo of bantamweight championship

By Zac Wassink | Last updated May 25, 2020 1:38 PM ET

Soon after Henry Cejudo named himself the greatest combat sports competitor of all-time following his victory over Dominick Cruz at UFC 249, the reigning bantamweight champion retired from in-octagon action.

It appears the UFC took Cejudo at his word.

On Monday, MMA Fighting's Damon Martin reported that the UFC has stripped Cejudo of his title and is looking to crown a new champion this summer. Martin added that Petr Yan is a favorite to be involved in the division's next title bout.

Josh Nason of the Wrestling Observer wrote that Aljamain Sterling, Cory Sandhagen, and Marlon Moraes are all potential opponents for Yan. Sterling and Sandhagen are set to fight each other at UFC 250 on June 6.

Both Martin and Nason noted that many believed Cejudo's retirement was merely a negotiation tactic to increase his paydays and potentially land a lucrative fight before the end of summer. Now, however, Cejudo will be returning without a championship if he competes in the UFC again before the end of 2020.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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