Cejudo pulls out of UFC 292 vs Vera due to injury

Former two-time UFC champion Henry Cejudo announced Thursday that he has a partially torn right shoulder and is out of his UFC 292 showdown against Marlon “Chito” Vera, scheduled for Aug. 19 in Boston.

Cejudo made the announcement via his YouTube page and on Twitter. He said the shoulder will require rehab and won’t be ready for another six to eight weeks. Cejudo said he does not want to undergo surgery, as he did with his left shoulder, but will opt for stem cell treatment and rehabilitation.

It was unclear if Vera would remain on the UFC 292 card.

Cejudo is coming off a close loss to UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling in a title fight at UFC 288 last month. He considered retiring for a second time immediately after that bout, but reiterated Thursday his intention to keep fighting. Cejudo said he wants a fight with Sterling’s teammate and fellow bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili when he returns from the shoulder injury. He also hinted at a showdown against his former protégé Brandon Moreno, the current UFC flyweight champion.

Cejudo (16-3) returned for his engagement against Sterling after a three-year retirement. The Arizona native was UFC flyweight champion in 2018 and 2019, in addition to winning the bantamweight title in 2019, becoming the fourth simultaneous multi-division champion in UFC history.

Cejudo, 36, is also a former Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, making him one of the most accomplished athletes in combat sports.