Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo re-enters Usada testing pool ahead of comeback

The American is seeking to become the UFC’s first ever three-weight title holder

Henry Cejudo is one of just four UFC fighters to have held two titles at once (Getty Images)

Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo has announced that he has re-entered the testing pool of the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada).

The American, who won Olympic wrestling gold in 2008, is one of just four fighters in UFC history to have held two titles at once.

Cejudo, 35, won the men’s flyweight belt in 2018 and defended it successfully in 2019, the same year he won the men’s bantamweight title. The American was later forced to vacate the flyweight title but retained the bantamweight gold in May 2020, before retiring immediately after the fight.

Many believed that Cejudo’s retirement was an attempt to negotiate an improved UFC contract, and the former champion has long teased a comeback.

On Monday, Cejudo wrote on Twitter: “No cringe. Just straight talk. I’ve entered the USADA pool. I know I could beat [featherweight champion] @alexvolkanovski.

“I want to become the 1st 3-division champion in UFC history. Or, he could shut up the cringe. It would be a treat for fans. Either way, the [king] is back!”

Alexander Volkanovski retained the men’s featherweight title in the main event of UFC 273 on Saturday. If Cejudo were to defeat the Australian, who has won 21 fights in a row, he would become the UFC’s first ever three-weight champion.

Conor McGregor, the first UFC fighter to hold two belts simultaneously, has expressed a desire to achieve the same goal. The Irishman has been teasing a comeback after breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier last summer, with welterweight champion Kamaru Usman representing McGregor’s opponent of choice.

McGregor, 33, is a former featherweight and lightweight champion.