Although Henry Cejudo was quick to tell Joe Rogan after his win over Chris Cariaso at UFC 185 that he’ll fight champion Demetrious Johnson next time out if that’s what the UFC wants, it would be wise for everyone to hold their proverbial horses.
In a world where 125-pound talent is as thin as the combover of a middle-aged insurance adjuster, that’s hard to do. Johnson has run amok on the weight class since it was launched by the UFC, and no one has ever really pushed him during his title run. That’s led to guys getting rushed into fights they aren’t ready for.
Cariaso was one of those guys, actually. He was stopped in a couple of rounds.
Kyoji Horiguchi is one of those guys. He’ll be stopped in a couple of rounds when he gets his chance next month.
Joseph Benavidez had to take a rematch before he was ready and lost any chance of becoming a champion as a result. John Moraga was rushed into a shot immediately before him and had success only insomuch as he managed to get to the fifth round before being submitted.
Johnson’s gotta eat, though, that’s the problem. Both inside and out of the cage, he’s gotta eat, and the UFC has to find warm bodies for him to run circles around so that can happen.
However, if the cycle of unprepared guys isn’t broken eventually, the promotion might as well just name Johnson champion for life. He’s already better than the bulk of opponents he’ll face—facing them when they aren’t the best versions they could possibly be is just academic.
Which is where Cejudo fits in.
There’s a lot to like about him: Olympic gold medalist, great stand-up, marketability. The most important thing, though? He’s an unfinished product.
After his win over Cariaso, he’s 8-0. He’s also still learning the ropes in terms of consistently getting himself down to the flyweight limit, a trouble that looked to be derailing his UFC career as recently as August.
To borrow a phrase that’s become prominent in MMA culture in 2015, where Cejudo as a title challenger is concerned, the time is (not) now.
The time is now for Johnson to rematch Dodson or to give Zach Makovsky a shot if he’s successful next time out. The time is now for Jussier Formiga to get thrown in there. The time is now for literally anything to happen that prevents Cejudo from being the next title challenger in that weight class.
Because when his time comes—and make no mistake, it will come in that division—the finished product that Cejudo will be is championship material.
So let him beat up a few more guys in the division, build his striking and takedowns into a more fluid form of violence and get his hands on a few more flittering flyweights who move around at a high pace so he can prepare for a man like Johnson.
The bottom line is that the flyweight division needs a foil for its champion. Johnson hasn’t captured the attention of the fans with his dominance or his personality, and he’s too good to have been pulled into a war that got people’s attention. Based on the tools he has already, a Cejudo properly groomed could be that foil.
So don’t hurry him, UFC. Let him develop the way you once let you prospects develop, without concern for filling cards or policing rankings. Just let him get as good as he can be and then give him a shot that he’ll inevitably earn as that process unfolds.
Do that, and you may just have yourself a new flyweight champion.
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