Fox Sports Australia’s Nick Walshaw brings you all the latest news and views in Aussie and global MMA in his weekly column, The Takedown.

HENRY Cejudo has laughed off suggestions he is chasing Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski with the help of performance enhancing drugs, saying: “Anyone who says stupid s … like that, they’re not all there”.

One of only four fighters to ever boast UFC ‘champ champ’ status, Cejudo is finally back in the Octagon and looking to reclaim his bantamweight crown at UFC 288 this Sunday.

Returning after three years out of the sport – and two out of the USADA testing pool – Cejudo says dethroning reigning champ Aljamain Sterling in the New Jersey headliner will be his first towards an eventual Volkanovski showdown.

Watch UFC 288: Sterling v Cejudo LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Sunday May 7 from 12pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, the Olympic gold medallist said he planned to beat Sterling, then defend against Sean O’Malley before fighting Australia’s No.1 fighter for a third division title.

“And I’m ready to take your boy Down Under,” he cackled.

Elsewhere, the 36-year-old also responded to an awkward lobby meeting he and Sterling shared this week, suggesting the champ was trying to drag him into “a love triangle”.

Cejudo also hit back at claims made by the New Yorker in a recent Sports Illustrated interview that hinted at him doping while out of the sport.

The article quoted Sterling, who has previously suggested jail time for fighters who juice, as saying: “I wouldn’t put it past Henry to have taken advantage of his three-year downtime and two years out of the testing pool.

“I don’t know if I can call it cheating … (but) I’ve got my advantages of being active, he’s got his advantages from being off. Nobody was waking him up at six or seven in the morning to test him.”

For his part, Cejudo seemed surprised when read the quotes during a Wednesday afternoon Zoom interview, replying: “Is he saying that I’m doing steroids?”

Told it appeared to be in the ballpark, ‘Triple C’ continued: “Anyone who says stupid s … like that, they’re not all there.

“I’ve had 86 clean tests from USADA. Been tested since 2004.

“Nobody has more clean tests.

“In fact, I even did a speaking engagement for USADA where they paid me and everything to say why USADA is great.

“And they don’t pick you for stuff like that (if you’re juicing).”

Then after a short pause, Cejudo cackled: “Saying I’m on secret juice? Those last two years I was fat as hell.”

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Cejudo added he would now take his two “tune ups” against Sterling and O’Malley before facing Volk — and that shot at becoming the first ever UFC ‘champ champ champ’.

Asked about the Australian’s most recent loss to UFC lightweight champ Islam Makhachev, he continued: “I was surprised Volkanovski didn’t bring in the kicks, even for the later rounds.

“I think that could’ve been the biggest factor.

“Because Islam did beat him.

“I’m not hating on Volk by any means but Islam beat him three rounds to two.

“Had more of that thump.

“I had to watch it a few times though.

“Because at first I thought ‘oh man, maybe Volk did win’. But I watched it again and I thought ‘no’.

“Was it close? One hundred per cent.

“It was in Australia so there was also that bias towards (the hometown fighter) but I feel the judges got it right — Volk lost.”

Watch heavyweights Joseph Parker v Faiga ‘Django’ Opelu, the return of Nikita Tszyu plus former AFL stars Cameron Mooney and Tom Bellchambers in a pro-boxing debut. Tickets on sale NOW. Wednesday 24 May 7PM AEST.

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UFC 288 ‘LOVE TRIANGLE’ CLAIM

STILL on Cejudo, and the UFC star has jokingly accused rival Aljamain Sterling of trying to trap him in a “love triangle” after an awkward hotel lobby showdown.

Early on this week while checking into the fighter hotel — and with UFC Embedded cameras shadowing him — Sterling spotted Cejudo, who was sat with his team in the lobby area, and walked over, he says, to “feel his energy, see if he wants to be here”.

So what was the reading?

“If I’m being honest, part of me feels he’s nervous,” Sterling said.

“Obviously everyone gets nervous before a fight, but I feel after seeing me, seeing how much bigger I am, that might be a concern for him.

“I don’t look too far into it but I feel there was some uneasiness.”

To which Cejudo says what?

“He tried to make me his friend,” he shrugged. “Caught me off guard, buttered me up.

“I don’t like that.

“And next time I see him, I gotta do something because it doesn’t feel right.

“We’re here to compete.

“I’m not here for a love triangle.”

Watch heavyweights Joseph Parker v Faiga ‘Django’ Opelu, the return of Nikita Tszyu plus former AFL stars Cameron Mooney and Tom Bellchambers in a pro-boxing debut. LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo & Foxtel, Wednesday 24 May 7PM AEST. ORDER NOW >

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AUSSIE LANDS LAS VEGAS FIGHT

CENTRAL Coast fighter Jamie Mullarkey is headed back to Las Vegas in June after agreeing to face the Georgian Viking, Guram Kutateladze.

The UFC will confirm later this week that the pair will throw down on the June 4 card topped by New Zealand favourite Kai Kara-France and Amir Albazi.

Mullarkey will be looking for his third straight win following victories over Michael Johnson and Francisco Prado, the latter of which occurred at UFC 284 in Perth.

The Aussie has already fought four times in the world’s fight capital, winning three.

Kutateladze, meanwhile, was on a run of nine straight wins before suffering a split decision loss against Damir Ismagulov last June.

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“THEY THINK I’M A LITTLE KID”

AUSTRALIAN welterweight prospect Lachlan Stitt is ready to show former training partner Peter Templer he is no longer a “little kid” when they square off at Eternal 75 on the Gold Coast this Saturday night.

While now based in Sydney, and a regular training partner for UFC star Robert Whittaker, Stitt was born and raised in Mackay where he trained alongside Templer at their local gym, Mackay MMA, from 15.

Now seven years on however, and the pair are set to throw down in what Stitt says is his next step towards securing a national title by the end of 2023.

The fight is co-main on an Eternal card topped by featherweights Diego Pereira and Jesse Medina.

Asked if there was a rivalry between the pair, Stitt explained: “Back when I first started out in MMA, Peter was ahead of me.

“Especially in jiu jitsu, he was always tapping me out. I was always second best.

“And I think that’s where this fight has come from.

“They think I’m still that same little kid.

“I know (his team) will be saying ‘you’ve got him Pete, you’re jiu jitsu is too good, just take him down and tap him out Pete’ … they’re underestimating me and I’m here to make a statement.”

Stitt revealed he had actually trained at Mackay MMA as recently as last December, when back home visiting family.

“I actually asked where Pete was and somebody said he was busy,” Stitt recalled. “So I don’t know if this was planned.

“If they said ‘OK, let’s bring him into the gym and see how he moves and aim to fight him’.

“But for this fight I’m arriving with one purpose – calculated violence.

“I want to really hurt him and I want a national title by the end of this year.”

GOAT BACKS VOLK FOR No.1

JON Jones says if he retires from the UFC this year as expected, Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski will reclaim his tag as pound-for-pound No.1.

“Yeah I can see that,” Jones told The Takedown this week. “Volkanovski looks amazing right now. He’s the total package.”

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