Former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion, Henry Cejudo has been more than vocal regarding a possible comeback to the Octagon ever since his May retirement last year, and recently outlined former featherweight kingpin, Max Holloway as an opponent he’d “love” to challenge some day.
Cejudo, who surprisingly announced his retirement immediately following UFC 249 last May in Jacksonville, Florida, scored his first successful defence of the bantamweight title in a second round knee and strikes knockout win over former two-time division pacesetter, Dominick Cruz.
Ever since his retirement, however, the recently turned 34-year-old has remained in the spotlight, firing barbs at the likes of flyweight kingpin, Deiveson Figueiredo, former bantamweight champion, Petr Yan, current featherweight titleholder, Alexander Volkanovski, and following UFC 259 two-weeks ago, footage emerged of Cejudo involved in a staredown with recently minted bantamweight best, Aljamain Sterling.
Detailing how “the king will only return if the price is right” during a recent interview with ESPN MMA reporter, Brett Okamoto — the Californian further revealed his interest in a potential showdown with the aforenoted, number-one contender, Holloway in the future.
“Even somebody like, Max Holloway — I have never called out, Holloway,” Cejudo said. “Look at any video, and I’ve never called out Holloway, even when he had the belt. I have never called out Max Holloway. Until you know what I’m saying? But he’s another fight that I feel like, in the future, I would love to fight.“
“Because, one, people would not believe me that I could beat him, ’cause he’s so damn tall and because what he’s been able to do with a lot of these people,” Cejudo explained. “And then two, man, I love the challenge. I love the fact that people believe that I could not beat him. I have never trolled Max Holloway, I have never called him out — until now.“
Divulging into a potential matchup with Holloway, Cejudo welcomes the challenge that comes with somebody of the former champion’s ilk, but ultimately believes he’s the smarter and more skilled fighter when compared with the Hawaiian.
“What I’m saying is — I think that Max Holloway fight — because nobody would believe me, is the same reason why I would want that fight,” Cejudo said. “He’s taller than me, he’s inflicted a lot more damage on different people, but I feel like I’m just too smart. I’m just too skilled. And I would love the challenge, if I was to ever fight Max Holloway.“
While Cejudo successfully knocked back former titleholder, Cruz in his last Octagon appearance, Holloway returned triumphantly at UFC on ABC 1 in January on ‘Fight Island’ in a one-sided, record-setting hammering of the incoming, Calvin Kattar over five rounds.