Henry Cejudo May Leave UFC After Dillashaw Superfight
Flyweight champion Henry Cejudo may leave the UFC.
“The Messenger” is set for the biggest fight of his UFC career when he meets bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw at January 26’s UFC 233.
The fight will reportedly be contested at 125 pounds. That was a somewhat surprising revelation considering the flyweight division was rumored to be axed from the UFC. Longtime former champion Demetrious Johnson was recently traded to ONE Championship. When that happened, a UFC flyweight was released and claimed the division would soon follow.
The fact that’s even a possibility has “The Messenger” on edge. He revealed on today’s episode of “Ariel Helwani‘s MMA Show” that he may leave the UFC if the 125-pound weight class is dissolved:
Henry Cejudo tells @arielhelwani tells there's a chance his fight against TJ Dillashaw could be his last in the UFC if the promotion gets rid of the flyweight division.
Wants to revisit his contract if he wins on January 26. #HelwaniShow
— Greg Rosenstein (@grosenstein) November 12, 2018
He’s still locked up under his current UFC deal, but may be able to get out of it if his division was axed:
Cejudo says he signed 6 fight deal w/UFC, but thinks everything changes if they got rid of FlyW division. Thinks his contract is signed for 125lb so if division is gone thinks"there's room there" for free agency. Says he'd have to talk to Ali & look at the contract.#HelwaniShow
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) November 12, 2018
Cejudo outlasted ‘Mighty Mouse’ by split decision to win the title at August’s UFC 227. It was a historic win that earned Cejudo his match-up with ‘The Viper.’ However, there simply aren’t many high-profile fighters – or fighters – left at 125 pounds in the UFC.
The promotion tried to boost the weight class by featuring ‘Mighty Mouse’ on both pay-per-view and in the main event of FOX cards. He just never resonated with mainstream audiences. If Cejudo may be able to remains unknown. One thing’s for certain, however. He’ll obviously never get the chance if the UFC dumps the class. They’ve been rumored to do just that for quite some time.
A Cejudo vs. Johnson trilogy fight in ONE is better than any flyweight but Cejudo could get in the UFC.
Should the UFC scrap the flyweight division and let Cejudo walk?
