Aljamain Sterling says he'll defer Henry Cejudo fight to Joseph Benavidez after UFC on ESPN 3

Dual UFC champ Henry Cejudo is expected to be out for the rest of the year, but when he returns from injury, it looks like a two-horse race for his next title defense.

The UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion, Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has multiple options in terms of challengers, but one potential suitor is willing to step back. Aljamain Sterling said he would defer the next shot to Joseph Benavidez after the 125-pound contender scored a big win at UFC on ESPN 3.

Benavidez (28-5 MMA, 15-3 UFC) defeated Jussier Formiga (23-6 MMA, 9-5 UFC) by second-round TKO on Saturday at Target Center in Minneapolis and afterward called for Cejudo, who he beat by split decision in December 2016.

Sterling (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) put himself near the top of the heap at 135 pounds by beating Pedro Munhoz at UFC 238 this month, and while he’s been pushing for a fight with Cejudo, he said he would step back (via Twitter):

It remains to be seen how the situation with Cejudo will play out going forward. But at this point one thing is clear: “The Messenger” has options.

For complete coverage of UFC on ESPN 3, check out the UFC Events section of the site.