Dana White & Henry Cejudo Have Two Very Different Takes On UFC Brooklyn Stoppage
UFC President Dana White and reigning flyweight champion Henry Cejudo have two very different takes on the ESPN+ 1 stoppage.
Cejudo did more than just beat T.J. Dillashaw to retain his 125-pound strap in last weekend’s UFC on ESPN+ 1 main event. He announced to the MMA universe that he is a legit pound-for-pound threat, and he perhaps saved an entire division (at least for the time being).
His win, however, was not without controversy. Immediately after Cejudo KO’ed Dillashaw, the bantamweight king flew into protest mode over what he thought was clearly an early stoppage.
Uncle Dana’s Take
Dana White agreed with his bantamweight champion’s assessment.
“I thought it was an early stoppage, too. You’ve got two of the best guys in the world, two world champions in a super fight. Let them fight. Let them finish. I’m not taking anything away from Cejudo cause the fight went 20 seconds and Cejudo busted him up. I’m sure when you saw him sitting here, he looks like was in a three-round fight but Jesus Christ, let them fight. Horrible stoppage.”
As you might imagin, when Cejudo got his chance to speak at the post fighter press conference he didn’t see eye to eye with the boss.
“It was a great stoppage. I felt his body go limp. I went in at 146 pounds when I fought him, strong. Every blow that he took, he was eating some hammers. Personally, I thought it was a good stoppage because he was going to take another 10, 20 hits.
“Your body goes limp like that, you cut weight like that, thinking you’re going to go out there and take my belt from me, that’s not the way it works. I think it was a great stoppage. If I was to talk to that ref, you’re OK, we were both in there. We saw him go limp a few times. Watch it again. You’ll see it.”
We’ll never know if Dillashaw would have been able to weather the storm. We may find out, however, if he fares better in a rematch – either at flyweight or back up at bantamweight.
