The much-anticipated return of Henry Cejudo to the Octagon is set to take place at UFC 288, where he will go head-to-head with Aljamain Sterling. If you’re looking for an in-depth insight into the journey that has brought Cejudo to this point. From a softly spoken Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler to a blue-chip MMA prospect, before becoming a two-division champ and the undoubted King of Cringe.

Cejudo has been absent from the UFC for three years, but he isn’t coming back just for the chance to fight again. No, he’s here to try and regain the bantamweight title that he never lost in the cage. This is no small feat, but Cejudo has never been one to shy away from a challenge. In fact, he shocked the MMA world in May 2020 when he declared he was retiring from the sport.

This came just after a successful defense of his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. Cejudo’s championship run had already been impressive, with four wins including an upset of Demetrious Johnson for the UFC flyweight title, defended with a 32-second knockout of T.J. Dillashaw, before capturing the bantamweight title with a knockout of Marlon Moraes.

However, Cejudo’s bid to reclaim the bantamweight title will not be easy. Standing in his way is Aljamain Sterling, also known as “The Funkmaster.” Sterling has won eight consecutive bouts and could make history with a third successful defense of his UFC bantamweight title if he prevails over Cejudo at UFC 288. He presents a formidable challenge to Cejudo, leading many to wonder whether he will be able to continue on his path to becoming known as “C-4.”

Cejudo clearly has an uphill battle ahead of him, but given his history, he’s capable of taking on any challenge placed in front of him. Could Sterling be the fighter to halt his journey, or will Cejudo overcome the odds and prove his doubters wrong?