Tag: Global MMA

Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo has reacted to the announcement that Jose Aldo has retired from MMA.

Yesterday it was announced that former WEC and UFC featherweight champion, Jose Aldo, had retired from MMA and was released from his UFC contact.

Fighters, media, and fans alike have all taken to their respective outlets to share their respect for Aldo, one of which was former bantamweight ruler, Henry Cejudo.

Cejudo would share his admiration of the Brazilian, referring to him as a ‘real hall of famer’.

“I was supposed to fight him right before the pandemic happened, and that event ended up being canceled,” Cejudo said to Helen Yee. “Brazilians couldn’t come over to the U.S., so I was gonna fight him in Sao Paulo, so I wanted to give Jose Aldo the introduction, especially in his hometown. He’s a legend. He’s the greatest featherweight of all time, and he’s a real Hall of Famer. Sometimes you can be given Hall of Fames in the UFC, but this one is truly, truly earned, and he’s one of the greatest of all time.”

Cejudo would also add that it doesn’t necessarily mean that Aldo’s career is over, he has the option to pursue pay cheques fighting in exhibitions or even professional wrestling.

“I think this is the time for him to make money,” Cejudo said. “I think this is time for him to do, whether exhibitions – we just saw Nate Diaz, too, over at the WWE (event), he’s looking to dabble into WWE, so make money. We got to use the brand that the UFC has given you, all these other platforms and continue to keep making money and be an entrepreneur, so I’m happy for him.”

It is a realistic assumption that we could see Aldo potentially compete in an exhibition fight or even a professional boxing match, especially in the current climate that combat sports finds itself in.

Do you agree Henry Cejudo, should Aldo try professional wrestling?

Michael Bisping, the former middleweight title holder and first champion to hail from the UK, has revealed who he believes is the most underrated fighter to hold a belt in UFC history.

In a recent video posted to his YouTube page, Michael Bisping broke down the top five underrated champions in the history of the promotion, with a number of intriguing names included.

However, the man whom Bisping listed as the No.1 most underrated title holder was none other than ‘The Prodigy,’ BJ Penn. ‘The Count’ would state:

“BJ is one of the most beloved, talented fighters of all time. There is a reason why this man is called ‘The Prodigy,’” Bisping said. “Records, as I say, they don’t tell the full story. If you scratch beneath the surface, and you see what BJ Penn was all about, the man was ferocious.” (Transcribed via MMANews).

Newer fans to the sport of MMA may only know Penn for his extensive losing streak that took place at the end of his career. ‘The Prodigy’ went eight fights without a win, coming up short against a number of veterans and rising prospects, with the likes of Nick Diaz, Frankie Edgar, Ryan Hall, and Yair Rodriguez all picking up wins over the former champ.

However, in his prime, BJ Penn was a force to be reckoned with. A grappling phenom with berserker-like aggression and surprising power in his hands, Penn played an integral part in the UFC’s early attempt to introduce a lightweight division. A blistering 11-second KO over Caol Uno was a particular highlight from the early days of Penn’s career.

However, Penn was not solely limited to fighting in the UFC. He would also compete in K-1, where he picked up victories over fellow future legends of the sport, such as Takanori Gomi, Duane Ludwig, and Renzo Gracie. During this time, he also made a return to the UFC capturing the welterweight title by submitting Matt Hughes. Later in his career, Penn also captured and defended the UFC lightweight belt, with emphatic victories over Joe Stevenson, Sean Sherk, Kenny Florian, and Diego Sanchez.

Michael Bisping’s list would also include former foes Luke Rockhold and Rashad Evans, the oft-forgotten Rich Franklin, and Frankie Edgar, who still competes to this day, but two weight classes lower than the belt he once held.

Do you agree with Michael Bisping’s pick?