Aljamain Sterling has shut down any reports of him fighting Henry Cejudo at UFC 284 in Australia.

After Sterling defeated TJ Dillashaw by TKO in the second round at UFC 280 to defend his belt, there was a report that said he would face Cejudo at UFC 284 in February. Cejudo has since confirmed that was the plan but now Sterling has shut that down.

“I’m not fighting until mid-year next year,” Sterling told MMA Junkie. “So, I don’t know what anybody is talking about. You’re gonna need to move me to get me to get back into a training camp. So, good luck with that. I earned my time off so Henry can go kick rocks. Let me ask you, are you excited to see Sterling vs. Cejudo? Are you most excited about that matchup for the next title shot at 135? Is that the biggest fight for you as a fan of the sport?”

Along with Aljamain Sterling saying he wants time off, he also isn’t sure that Henry Cejudo is the right fight. With Sterling getting pay-per-view points he wants the biggest matchup possible and he believes that is either Sean O’Malley or Marlon Vera.

“I want the biggest fight because I get pay-per-view points,” Sterling said. “The moment I lose the belt, I don’t get pay-per-view points. So I want the biggest fight, and if it’s Cejudo, I gladly oblige. But, I don’t think it’s him. I really don’t. I even feel like people would be more excited to see me fight ‘Chito’ (Vera) over Cejudo. It seems like as a whole Sean just draws better than Cejudo. He hasn’t fought in almost three years. I’m only pointing out the negatives. Outside of his credentials, for a die-hard, I’d be excited about that fight. But other than that, in terms of financial, I want the biggest fight which is typically the fight the fans want to see the most. I feel it’s the Sean O’Malley fight, but again, if I’m wrong, I’m wrong.”

To no surprise, Cejudo was quick to respond and took a shot at him for wanting time off after beating an injured TJ Dillashaw.

https://twitter.com/henrycejudo/status/1586112703625498625?s=46&t=JZLn1-G3p_i77YsxLzL-SQ

“Hey Allshitstain… @funkmasterMMA Are you really gonna count your victory over the Gimp as a win? Surprised you didn’t call out Oscar Pistorius afterwards. I know you gotta work on your cardio but don’t run from me for 8 months,” Cejudo tweeted to Sterling.

As of right now, it seems unlikely that Aljamain Sterling and Henry Cejudo will fight at UFC 284 in February. But, whether or not that fight is next is also uncertain.

Would you like to see Aljamain Sterling vs. Henry Cejudo?