Henry Cejudo scored his second consecutive monumental win this past weekend (Sat., Jan. 19, 2019) at UFC on ESPN+ 1 by knocking out current Bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw in just 32 seconds (highlights). That’s just six months after dethroning Demetrious Johnson, the most dominant champion in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) history.
Cejudo took “Mighty Mouse” down at UFC 227 last August via unanimous decision, getting one back from the ex-Flyweight champion after getting knocked out by Johnson in the very first round two years ago. As far as breaking the tie, Demetrious is all for it, but it won’t be going down inside the Octagon, or in North America, for that matter.
”At the end of the day, you never know what could happen,” Johnson said in an interview with ESPN. “I’ll tell you what, though, I’ll never go back to North America. So the only way we’d compete against each other is if he came over here. It all depends on what happens in the UFC. A lot of things would have to fall in order, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility.”
Cejudo isn’t opposed to taking his talents overseas.
Johnson ended his tenure with UFC late last year after he was traded to ONE Championship for Ben Askren in MMA’s first-ever high-profile exchange. The move has been rather fruitful for Demetrious, who revealed he had little to no say in the matter.
”It was never my division, it’s the UFC’s division. I’ve moved on to bigger and better things, in my opinion. I am legitimately happy for Henry Cejudo, TJ Dillashaw and the flyweight division. Once I became part of One Championship, that’s where my focus went. But I’m happy for the opportunity those guys got. They deserve it.”
In his short time with the promotion, “Mighty Mouse” can appreciate the vast differences between UFC and his new company despite not having competed for ONE yet. Above all else, not having to worry about pay-per-view (PPV) numbers makes for a happier life.
”It’s not about trying to create drama over here,” Johnson said. “I always felt like in the UFC, your star power is based on how many pay-per-views you sell. When Dana White comes to you and says, ‘We’re thinking about getting rid of your division,’ and you’re on your ninth title defense, it kind of makes you wonder. But you never have to worry about that here. It’s a different vibe. When you’re not worried about selling a f—ing pay-per-view and just competing — and everyone is happy with it — that’s what it’s all about.”
Johnson is set to make his debut for ONE on March 31 in Japan against Yuya Wakamatsu in what will be “Mighty Mouse’s” first non-title fight in six years.