Ex-UFC Titleholder Henry Cejudo Set For Return To USADA Testing Pool This Week
Former undisputed UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion, Henry Cejudo will return to the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) testing pool this week, as per his manager, Dominance MMA leader, Ali Abdelaziz – ahead of a projected UFC return following an April 2019 retirement.
Henry Cejudo, 35, announced his retirement from professional mixed martial arts following the culmination of his UFC 249 co-main event against Dominick Cruz back in April 2019, however, in the time since, has continually flirted with a return to active competition.
As per his manager, Abdelaziz, however, Cejudo – who had previously been reported as having already returned to the USADA testing pool, will officially make his return to the anti-doping program this week ahead of a retirement snapping return to the Octagon.
“After two years of retirement, Henry Cejudo will re-enter the USADA drug-testing pool, Monday his manager Ali Abdelaziz told @marc_raimondi,” ESPN MMA tweeted. “Per the UFC’s anti-doping policy, fighters re-entering the pool are typically tested for six months before being eligible to compete.”
During his time away from the sport, Cejudo has begun training other athletes at Fight Ready in Scottsdale, Arizona alongside long time head coach, Eric Albarracin – most notably guiding two-time flyweight champion, Deiveson Figueiredo to a title victory against three-time foe, Brandon Moreno back in January.
At the time of publication, a return opponent for Henry Cejudo has yet to be identified
Cejudo had briefly flirted with a bantamweight division return against former champion, Petr Yan, as well as current undisputed titleholder, Aljamain Sterling – and prior to UFC 273 over the course of last weekend, continually welcomed the opportunity to fight featherweight king, Alexander Volkanovski.
Boasting a 16-2 professional record, Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, has defeated the likes of the aforenoted, Dominick Cruz, Marlon Moraes, T.J. Dillashaw, Demetrious Johnson, Sergio Pettis, Wilson Reis, and Jussier Formiga.
