Henry Cejudo, who is not retiring from UFC, has called for a fight with fellow former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno at UFC 306, drawing on their shared history to hype up a potential grudge match.
Henry Cejudo’s retirement? Nah, that’s not happening. In fact, he’s already got his eyes on his next opponent.
He’s calling out Brandon Moreno, another ex-flyweight champ. In a YouTube video, Cejudo suggested a showdown at UFC 306, scheduled to take place at Sphere in Las Vegas. Both fighters are in a bit of a rut, each on a two-fight losing streak. So, Cejudo’s playing up their shared past to hype a potential grudge match.
“What fight would be better than ‘Triple C,’ the Mexican-American, vs. the true Mexican?” Cejudo asked. He’s envisioning a five-round showdown in Vegas on Mexican Independence Day. He’s all in, ready to put the talk and antics aside. He’s challenging Moreno to sign the contract and prove he’s a ‘Mexi-can’ not a ‘Mexi-can’t.’
Cejudo’s ready to settle the score. He believes the storyline and history are there. Two former champs, both with recent losses, coming together for a UFC showdown. He’s just waiting for the call. He’s ready to fight Moreno, ready to hurt him. He believes they owe it to each other and the fans.
He’d prefer the fight at bantamweight, but he’s open to flyweight if the price is right. The relationship between Cejudo and Moreno has seen its ups and downs. They trained together nearly a decade ago, with Moreno part of Cejudo’s team for his first fight with Demetrious Johnson.
But a rift formed when Cejudo coached on The Ultimate Fighter 24 opposite Joseph Benavidez. Moreno ended up on Benavidez’s team, which didn’t sit well with Cejudo. Especially when Moreno and Benavidez trained together for Benavidez’s fight against Cejudo in 2016.
Cejudo felt betrayed. He’d opened up his home to Moreno and his family, cornered him for his last five fights before the UFC. Cejudo thought they were close. But Moreno’s training with Benavidez changed that.
They were set to fight in Mexico City in 2017, but Moreno wasn’t interested. Cejudo wanted to fight, to put the politics aside. He wanted to beat up his little brother, but still love him. But Moreno refused, saying he had too much love to fight Cejudo.
The fight would be a big addition to the UFC 306 card. It could be a turning point for both fighters. Cejudo has lost two straight since ending a three-year hiatus. Moreno’s coming off back-to-back losses.
Cejudo thinks it makes sense for them to test each other. He noted Moreno didn’t look like himself in his loss to Royval at UFC Mexico City. He compared it to his own fight with Merab, saying they both looked off.