Former two division UFC champion Henry Cejudo is considering a return to his old stomping ground.
The former UFC 125-pound and 135-pound champion returns to the cage this weekend against Team Alpha Male fighter Song Yadong as he seeks to arrest a two-fight skid and score what would be his first win in the Octagon since May 2020. But while this fight takes place in the bantamweight fold currently ruled by champ Merab Dvalishvili, Cejudo says that his time at 125-pounds may not yet be over.
“I’ve got to cut the weight, but there is a potential thing that I could be going back down,” Cejudo told reporters, including The Mac Life, on Wednesday ahead of this weekend’s fight card in Seattle, Washington.
“With a victory here, I don’t think there’s anybody at flyweight that could really sell the division.”
Cejudo has proven history at 125-pounds. ‘Triple C’ became the first fighter to defeat flyweight GOAT Demetrious Johnson in seven years when they clashed for the world title in August 2018, following that up with a 32-second win over another former bantamweight champ in TJ Dillashaw just five months later.
“I think there’s too many dry people at that weight division,” Cejudo added of the flyweight fold. “I feel like what I’ve done in combat sports, particularly the flyweights, is saving that division back in 2020. There could be a resurrection there.”
Cejudo’s run at flyweight is credited in some quarters (including the fighter himself) with saving the flyweight division, which was reportedly in jeopardy of being cut loose from the UFC several years ago.
“After I beat Demetrious, I wanted to go up and become a double champ because the whole storyline was Demetrious Johnson vs. TJ Dillashaw. I said, ‘I’m going to beat this dude, and I’m challenging the winner of Cody [Garbrandt] and TJ.’ Exactly what happened.
“He said, ‘We’re going to grant you, but we’re going to get rid of the division.’ I remember my heart just sunk. It just didn’t feel right. I said, ‘Let’s bring [Dillashaw] down.’ So TJ wanted to go down. I’m just like, ‘Let’s give him what he wants.’ So I beat him at 125 and then go up to 35 and then do it again.”
