Henry Cejudo Eyes New Weight Class and Showdown with Brandon Moreno

• UFC

Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo came up short against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288. It marked Cejudo's first match after a three-year hiatus from the sport, during which he was in a self-imposed martial retirement.

The judges' unanimous decision saw Sterling defend his belt, leaving fans and analysts to speculate on what lies ahead for the resilient Cejudo.

Considering New Horizons

However, the loss seems not to have dampened Cejudo's spirits or ambitions.

Rather than looking back in despair, the former champion is charting an adventurous path forward, contemplating a move up in weight class. However, he has also teased the possibility of dropping to the flyweight division to challenge current champion Brandon Moreno.

In an interview with ESPN, Cejudo did not shy away from laying his terms on the table: “If the UFC wants to show us the money after this fight if he [Moreno] does beat Pantoja, that we do a showdown between me and him”.

Money Talks, but So Does the Ring

Cejudo, however, insists that the UFC would need to raise the financial stakes to convince him to move down to the flyweight class. “No, bring him up and then who knows? If the UFC is willing to offer me a bunch of money to go down to 125, I’ll do it,” he declared.

Cejudo continued, almost taunting Moreno and recalling past sparring sessions: “If Brandon wants this smoke, and I know what I used to do to him in sparring. If he wants this smoke, if he gets past Pantoja, which I know he won’t, I’ll be willing to do that fight, too." The former champion also hinted at a personal rivalry with Moreno, who had previously trained with Joseph Benavidez without informing him.

This, Cejudo found out through social media, which has seemingly sparked a bitter feud. “There’s bad blood there. There’s a great storyline,” Cejudo said. “Obviously he’s the baby face in the UFC.

I’m the heel. Show me the money, let’s make it happen, baby”. Cejudo’s burning desire to hold a UFC belt again is palpable, even in the wake of his recent defeat. Besides the above-mentioned possibilities, he has also touted a potential showdown with Dvalishvili.

With so many options on the table, fans and analysts alike are left to speculate until Cejudo's next move becomes clear.