Henry Cejudo is a former Olympic gold medalist. He won gold in 2008 in Beijing for wrestling in the freestyle 55kg division. He went back for the Olympic trials in 2012 but didn’t make it. He retired on the mat by removing his shoes and tossing them to the crowd.
In early 2013, he announced plans to begin training for MMA, and he made his debut in March 2013 at bantamweight. He won that fight by submission to punches in just about 90 seconds.
He racked up a record of 6-0 before being signed to the UFC in the flyweight division. He was set to face Scott Jorgensen at UFC 177 on Saturday night, but less than four hours before the weigh-ins Friday, Cejudo was forced to drop out of the fight due to a medical issue related to his weight cut.
This wasn’t the first time that Cejudo had trouble making weight, as he attempted to make flyweight in his previous two fights in Legacy FC but came in at 128 pounds both times.
UFC President Dana White had a lot to deal with on weigh-in day, with Cejudo dropping out of his fight as well as Renan Barao dropping out of his, and he was not inclined to cut Cejudo much slack.
White said of Cejduo:
“He’s got a history of doing this. It’s not his first time, and if he stays at that weight, it won’t be his last. He can come back and try at a heavier weight or not try again.”
Essentially, White is saying that Cejudo has to move to bantamweight or he is not welcome back in the UFC.
Cejudo might be able to convince White to give him another shot at flyweight, as he did wrestle at 121 pounds for the Olympics. He would have to make a compelling case to White, or maybe just hire someone like Mike Dolce to make sure he is able to make weight.
However, if Dana doesn’t budge, then Cejudo will have a whole new UFC division to consider.
The bantamweight division is extremely competitive, and throwing a high-caliber wrestler like Cejudo into the mix will add a whole new dimension.
Cejudo will have the ability to take on guys like Urijah Faber, Dominick Cruz, Barao and more. There are a number of opponents he could take on for his first fight who could earn him a lot of respect in the division.
The bantamweight division is arguably stronger than the flyweight division, and Cejudo may be able to rise up the ranks of that division faster than the flyweight division.
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