Henry Cejudo Won’t Fight Dillashaw If He Misses Weight For UFC on ESPN+ 1

There’s a real possibility that TJ Dillashaw might not be the man standing across the cage from Henry Cejudo in Brooklyn.

Currently, the UFC flyweight champion is set to defend his title against 135-pound champion TJ Dillashaw on January 19th. Dillashaw is attempting to become the fourth-ever “champ-champ” in UFC history. However, there’s some concern that Dillashaw might not make weight. Dillashaw needs to cut down to 125 pounds, 10 pounds less than where he usually fights.

Should Dillashaw not make weight for the bout, Cejudo will be opting to challenge another flyweight. That’s according to the champion’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, who spoke to MMA Fighting recently. Should Dillashaw miss weight, Abdelaziz says that Cejudo will opt to fight Joseph Benavidez instead, who is competing on the UFC on ESPN+ 1 main card:

“I don’t think T.J.’s going to make weight and if he misses weight by .1 pounds, Joseph Benavidez is going to fight, we’re going to give Joseph a shot,” Abdelaziz said.

“Because I personally don’t think he’ll make it. If he makes it, he’s going to be weak, fragile, and he’s going to have a long, long night with the champ. He’s a good fighter, but he can’t fight at the pace Henry’s going to fight him at 125. He doesn’t have the speed to fight Henry.”

Currently, Benavidez is slated to face Dustin Ortiz in Brooklyn. Should he make championship weight and Dillashaw not make weight, he could get a shot at the 125-pound title.

Cejudo and Benavidez have shared the Octagon before. Benavidez took a controversial split decision win over Cejudo back in December of 2016.