The UFC flyweight champion has some thoughts on his division, plus a claim that one of its contenders has been released.
Henry Cejudo is admittedly concerned about the state of the division he rules over.
The reigning flyweight champion is coming off a 32-second TKO of T.J. Dillashaw at UFC Brooklyn two weeks ago, in a fight that had the backdrop of the possibility we would see the men’s flyweight division shuttered should Dillashaw win. Well Dillashaw didn’t win, but there’s still uncertainty over the division’s future.
In an interview with MMAjunkie, Cejudo revealed that the status of flyweight is “scary,” and he also claimed that Dustin Ortiz is now no longer with the promotion.
“If you look at 125 right now, they just cut Dustin Ortiz,” Cejudo told MMAjunkie. “This guy just had what could have been a split decision win to (Joseph) Benavidez. These are the top guys in the world. You’re going to cut the No. 3 or No. 4 guy in the world? That just tells you where these guys’ heads are at. It’s unfortunate. I’m trying to do my best, but at the same time I’m not going to have a belt with nobody in my weight class. You got rid of Ortiz, you got rid of Matheus Nicolau, these great guys. I don’t know who else they got rid of. There’s probably only about 10 of us left. So it sucks, it’s scary.”
Nicolau is indeed no longer with the UFC, but there’s no confirmation yet that Ortiz has been let go. Ortiz lost to Joseph Benavidez by split decision on that same UFC Brooklyn card, snapping a three-fight winning streak. He’s long been a top-10 fighter at flyweight, but if true, it’s certainly another worrisome sign that men’s 125 is on its last legs.
“I think the UFC, they’re kind of weeding people out,” Cejudo said. “By the time I look back there’s nobody. It has nothing to do with me. I’m doing my job, I’m fighting for the flyweight division. I said it. I tried to do a negotiation deal with Dana White on national television. He wouldn’t do it. I think that’s a question you would have to ask the boss and his people. I feel like I resurrected this division. I speak three languages, I’m pretty handsome myself. I’m aight.”
White has played the “wait and see” game when asked about flyweight’s status. There are fights booked in that division through March, but there has been growing talk that Cejudo will have an immediate rematch with Dillashaw, only this time for Dillashaw’s bantamweight title. It isn’t totally outrageous to think last month was the UFC’s final men’s flyweight title bout.