Henry Cejudo Claims He’s A Bad Matchup For Both Johnson And Dillashaw
Former Olympic gold medalist, Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo had a rough start to his UFC career. The problem wasn’t with his performance, he didn’t lose his debut, but the issue was rather that he couldn’t make it to the Octagon when he was scheduled too. Cejudo was set to debut at UFC 177 last August until his weight cut went wrong, and he was forced out of the bout the day before due to medical issues.
It actually wasn’t the first time the Olympian has missed the 125-pound weight limit for a fight, and UFC president Dana White insisted that he move up to 135-pounds. When he finally stepped in the Octagon, at bantamweight and at UFC on FOX 13 in December, Cejudo looked spectacular.
Not even using his decorated wrestling background, Cejudo scored a dominant decision win over Dustin Kimura. His win was so impressive that he actually convinced White to give him another shot at flyweight, and Cejudo is now set to take on former title challenger Chris Cariaso at this weekend’s (March 14, 2015) UFC 185.
The 2008 gold medalist claims that he felt as if he let the Olympic movement down when he missed weight at UFC 177, and has changed things. Adding a nutritionist and science to the picture, Cejudo says he is feeling good and weight is no longer an issue:
“Everything that happened in August really discouraged me – it really did,” Cejudo told MMAjunkie. “I felt extremely bad. I felt like I let the whole Olympic movement down. I got myself a good nutritionist. I got a CT scan of my body and went back to the scientific way of doing it. I have a nutritionist living with me, cooking my food, weighing it, portioning out a lot of things, and it’s very detailed now. When I hit 135, I was struggling. Now it’s not even bad.”
Being a wrestler and an Olympian, many were surprised at Cejudo’s weight cutting issues. Some even questioned his desire and passion. The talent and skill is clearly there, but some wondered whether Cejudo is committed to his craft. He insists that he is:
“Not everyone thinks like me,” Cejudo said. “That’s my biggest asset. Anyone who says I’m a scatterbrain, that’s kind of funny. I’m the most strong-willed kid that you’ll ever meet. Anybody that can win the Olympics and be the youngest to ever do it, and be in high school and get every scholarship offer possible, and leave home at 16 and become the best in the world at age 21, is someone that has a powerful mind and a big heart.”
Now back on track, Cejudo is ready to show the world what he is truly made of, and he has a golden opportunity in front of him. In the contender-scarce flyweight division, the Olympian could be a dark horse. With a win over Cariaso, he would add his name to a very short list of title challengers.
Cariaso is a without a doubt the best opponent Cejudo will have ever faced, but the decorated wrestler is more confident than ever:
“I understand that he’s tough, but to beat Henry Cejudo, you might have to bring an AK-47 and a couple dudes,” Cejudo said. “He’s a fighter. That’s all I can say. In my mind I want to say things that I probably shouldn’t. That’s just because I’m so confident that I want to give him that respect as a fighter. I’m just ready.
“They can give me whomever they want. I’m a competitor. I can compete. People will see I’m a very smart fighter. I adjust, and I’m strategic. That’s it. Give me a top-10 (opponent). Give me a top-five, I’ll go through them all. This is who I am. I’m a born fighter. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. I have a God-given ability, and I’m here to praise that.”
“The Messenger” is so confident that he feels he would be a problem for not only flyweight king Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, but also bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw:
“I think T.J. Dillashaw and Demetrious Johnson – I’m a bad matchup for both of them,” Cejudo said. “I’ve got good standup, good wrestling, and they can talk about their super fight, but I would love to fight both of them at either weight class. I’m a competitor. Eventually after 125, I can go up and challenge (at 135).
“I’m a very creative fighter that’s very explosive and can outwrestle you or outbox you or out-kick you. There’s a new sheriff in town, and he’s cracking the whip. Don’t overlook me. There’s a peak alpha in the room and the flyweights know that.”
Is Cejudo over hyping himself, or can the former Olympian become a true contender in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions?
