Henry Cejudo Warns Marlon Moraes: You Better ‘Sleep Or Tap Me Out’

Despite some animosity, Henry Cejudo respects Marlon Moraes, but had a warning for him as their title fight approaches.

The two will challenge for the vacant bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 238 this Saturday in Chicago. Having already gone back-and-forth during the UFC seasonal press conference in April, Moraes recently heated things up by claiming Cejudo’s win over TJ Dillashaw was a fluke. He also added that Cejudo was a good match-up for his style.

Regardless of those comments, Cejudo still respects Moraes and his ability as a fighter:

“I respect him,” Cejudo said at a media lunch (via MMA Junkie). “I really do, I respect Marlon, even though he doesn’t think very fondly of me – I respect him as a fighter.”

Cejudo’s Warning

“The Messenger” still expects to come away with the win, however. Even with the threat of getting finished by a fighter with three first-round finishes in his last three fights, Cejudo believes he will find a way to beat his UFC 238 foe:

“I know he has the ability to knock me out,” Cejudo explained. “I’m in that game, and I accept that. I accept there’s a 50 percent chance I may win. I may lose, especially against a competitor like that.

“But I’m going out there with the most intelligent mind. He’s never faced a competitor like me – not a fighter, a competitor. I will find a way to beat you. So you better put me to sleep or tap me out, but I will find a way to beat you.”

A win for Cejudo would make him just the fourth simultaneous two-weight champion in the UFC. Add in his Olympic gold medal in wrestling and wins over Demetrious Johnson and Dillashaw, and the 32-year-old believes he will cement himself further as the greatest fighter of all time:

“Find the greatest comeback athlete of all time – I believe that’s me,” Cejudo added. “And I believe fighting for this second belt, I’m going to cement it even more.”