MEXICO CITY — Henry Cejudo has seen the way the top of the pack at 125 pounds has jostled for position in recent weeks, with no one really stating a strong case for a shot at Demetrious Johnson’s title.
And while he’s still young in the sport, the undefeated Cejudo has a message for the top guys in the flyweight division: If you want to beat me, you better take your swing at me now.
“I’m ready for anybody,” Cejudo (8-0) said. “If it’s John Dodson, if it’s Demetrious Johnson, if it’s Joseph Benavidez, I’m ready for whichever one, whoever wants a piece of me.”
Cejudo, who meets Chico Camus at UFC 188 on Saturday night, confidently proclaimed his skill set is going to give the top of the division trouble sooner rather than later.
“I think they know I’m an elite athlete, I’m not your average flyweight,” Cejudo said. “I’m a really strong flyweight, I’ve got strong hands, if they want to take their shot they better take it now, because I’m only getting better.”
Of course, Cejudo’s detractors point out he’s had trouble making the 125-pound limit. Cejudo made weight for his last fight, a UFC 185 win over Chris Cariaso, and he says this time out his weight is the lightest it’s been on a fight-week Wednesday.
“I’m nine pounds over, that’s the lightest I’ve ever been [on a Wednesday],” Cejudo said. “I had a bad fish taco last night, so I’m kind of getting that out of my system and I’m recovering. It was a little sketchy there.”
Meanwhile, Cejudo, a Mexican-American, specifically requested to be on UFC 188 in Mexico City, and he was fired up after receiving a rousing ovation from the packed house at Wednesday’s open workouts.
Cejudo went so far as to compare his UFC 188 fight week experience to winning his Olympic wrestling medal in 2008.
“This experience is crazy, this is like nothing else,” he said. “I feel like I’m back at the Olympics winning the gold medal with all these cameras, all these people. It’s something incredible, something you can’t describe. I can’t even fathom to think about it, these open workouts have been so amazing.”