Dana White Says Bantamweight Title Fight Could Be Set Soon, Sterling & Yan Want To Fight For Title

UFC Bantamweight Champion Henry Cejudo defeated former UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz in the co-main event of UFC 249 and then would announce his retirement from professional MMA competition.

Dana White says that a bout for the now vacated UFC Bantamweight Title could be announced within the next week.

“He’s been talking about retirement to us for the past several months,” White said during the post-fight scrum (via Milan Ordonez of Bloody Elbow). “I didn’t know he was gonna do it tonight, but I knew… he’s been talking about it. And you know my opinion on that. If you start talking about retirement in this business, it’s probably a good idea. You let that guy take a week, go home, or whatever he is going to do, and think about it. When we get home and get back to work on Monday, we call Henry and say ‘is this what you really want to do?’ If the answer is yes, then matchmaking week is Tuesday. It’s Petr Yan and somebody. We’ll get that figured out, too. We’ll make a title fight next week for the vacant title, and probably do that fight as soon as possible.”

Yan & Aljamain Sterling would both take to Twitter after UFC 249 to express their interest in competing for the vacant UFC Bantamweight Title:

@danawhite you have two beasts, ready to put on show for the vacant 135 lb title. @PetrYanUFC I know you want this just as much as I do. I am ready whenever! #UFC249

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) May 10, 2020

You know I’m in! Let’s do it @danawhite @seanshelby https://t.co/IQQyysTwXD

— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) May 10, 2020

Outside of Yan, no word has been given yet as to whom the second challenger is going to be for the vacant UFC Bantamweight Title.