Henry Cejudo is on the quest for gold again, only this time he’s chasing the dream inside the UFC Octagon.
The 2008 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling won his first fight as a UFC flyweight at UFC 185, and he made a serious statement in the process.
He’s here. He’s dangerous. Get used to it.
Taking on former flyweight title challenger Chris “Kamikaze” Cariaso, Cejudo showcased everything one could want to see from a top MMA prospect.
His striking was clean and powerful. His wrestling was smothering and technical, as expected. He ate a few big shots and defended a few submissions without flinching.
The dude is for real.
In the shallow flyweight class, Cejudo looks every bit the part of a future title contender and, perhaps, even more.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Cejudo has repeatedly failed to make the 125-pound limit throughout his mixed martial arts career, so when he tipped the scales at 125 on the button Friday before UFC 185, he put the entire MMA universe on notice.
The world-class wrestler with surprisingly effective kickboxing finally dedicated himself to his craft and to making weight. A division sorely lacking in legitimate contenders gained one of the finest athletes in the game today.
What we’ll remember about this fight is that it represented the moment Cejudo finally cut away all the nonsense, put the scales behind him and showed us who he is and who he can be as a fighter.
And that man is pretty damn good.
What We Learned About Cejudo
Cejudo can make weight at flyweight, and he can destroy former 125-pound title challengers.
That’s big. His wrestling skills will always be there for him, but we continued to see the evolution of his striking game against Cariaso.
Cejudo‘s hands were fast, his defense was passable, and he blended both phases of the game—grappling and striking—seamlessly.
After three rounds of pure domination, we learned Cejudo has the overall skill set and the gas tank to match to contend with the big dogs. It still feels like he has another gear he hasn’t quite hit, but there’s no doubt that his ceiling is high and his future is bright.
What We Learned About Cariaso
Cariaso is not quite an elite, top-five flyweight.
Despite challenging for champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson’s title at UFC 178, Cariaso hasn’t look like a top-flight 125-pound fighter of late.
Cejudo had his way anywhere the fight went, and Cariaso simply had nothing in return. Save a few solid body kicks and some flailing submission attempts, Cariaso had little to offer.
We learned that, despite his impressive resume, Cariaso is not a man with UFC gold in his future.
What’s Next for Cejudo
Cejudo was unranked at flyweight before this fight, but he will receive a top-10 or top-five matchup next. He deserves it.
His low ranking was a product of his inability to make weight and his relative inexperience. It was not a reflection of his skill level.
Now that he’s shown he can make the 125-pound limit and perform, the UFC will throw him to the wolves where he belongs.
I don’t expect him to get a title shot right away, but a fight against No. 5-ranked Jussier Formiga or No. 6-ranked Ali Bagautinov makes all kinds of sense for him moving forward.
What’s Next for Cariaso
Cariaso can fight. He’s just not a top-five flyweight in the world, and that’s OK.
Kamikaze will stick around in the UFC for the time being, but I don’t expect him to make another run at the title. In the short history of the flyweight division, Cariaso will represent one of the first true gatekeepers.
Look for him to separate the contenders from the pretenders for years to come. The first step on that journey can come against Tim Elliott, a loser of three straight inside the Octagon.
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