Henry Cejudo doesn’t need to make an immediate decision, but he’s starting to weigh the options, of which there are a few.
It’s been six months since Cejudo (16-4 MMA, 10-4) stepped inside the cage and lost a title eliminator to Merab Dvlashvili at UFC 298. Since then, Cejudo has enjoyed life as a father of two, a 2024 Olympic Games spectator in Paris, and a figurehead for rising MMA promotion United Fight League, which returns Aug. 30.
Competition still holds a special place in Cejudo’s heart, and while he’s eager to get back to throwing punches and shooting takedowns as hundreds of thousands watch, an injury’s healing process continues to have him taking it day by day.
“I’ve been icing an injury now for quite some time,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie on Wednesday. “I want to make sure that I’m 100 percent. I’m getting back into training. … It’s just allowing this injury to freaking heal. Father Time is real, dude. I can finally admit it. It’s just little nagging things, but I think in this particular thing, I want to make sure I don’t have to get surgery and allow myself to get patient and take my time. Then, I’m going to be 100 percent. Could I fight? I could. But am I going to do the same thing I did in my last fight to fight with a torn groin? I’m not going to do that no more. I think I learned my lesson and that’s it.”
After a three-year hiatus that began in 2020, Cejudo returned to the cage in 2023. He’s since lost consecutive fights by unanimous decision to Aljamain Sterling and Dvalishvili. While he might be where he remains, Cejudo said he’s tossing around the idea of a return to the division he proclaims he saved from UFC extinction.
“There could be a potential return at flyweight,” Cejudo said. “These are a lot of things I’m contemplating, potentially going back down. With the bantamweight division getting hot and with the newcomers coming in, there’s been a lot of thought of me going back down and getting a fight with Moreno and winning the belt once again. There’s a lot of cool stuff. These are kind of things I really want to think about and really decide once I get home and once I’m injury-free. It’s just one little thing, but it’s a major thing. Because I’m going to be making a commitment to go out there and just do another run, do another run at these titles and dedicate myself like I was before.”
Flyweight is calculated option for Cejudo, who turned 37 in February. The bantamweight division is thriving and many hungry contenders are chomping at the bit. Cejudo sees fresh options at flyweight, a division he thinks his personality would spice up.
“This is my prediction,” Cejudo said. “Merab Dvalishvili is going to stop Sean O’Malley at the Sphere. … He’s going to beat him but once Umar comes in, he’s just going to have his way with Merab. Umar is really good, really technical. I just feel like it’s going to go down the line. Deiveson Figueiredo is going to fight a guy like Petr Yan, which is a fight I wanted. These guys are chasing Deiveson Figueiredo, so where does that leave me, man? Am I going to fight just to fight? Or am I going to chase something?
“I’m after gold now. I think if I do go down to 125 pounds and stay disciplined, I don’t think there’s anyone that can beat me. Plus, I think there’s a fun fight with Brandon Moreno. He wanted to fight me at 135 and then he backed out like a little b*tch. Now, I think if I go down and I beat him in Mexico, in his own country, I think that could be a big-ass payday too.”
It’s important to recognize bantamweight is still very much on the table. But should that flyweight return be his decision, Cejudo said he wants to do it properly. There will be no rushing the preparation.
“I don’t want to be fighting people just to fight people,” Cejudo said. “I want to get close to that belt. I think that’s the position that I fall in right now. … If it’s something that I do decide to do, the biggest thing for me is going to be discipline and taking myself back there once again. It is the weight cut. But at the same time, I’ve been thinking about it. It’s what I need. Maybe I need more discipline. Maybe I need… if the bar is set that high, that means I have to have more commitment on that side.
“It’s not fun. I hated making that weight. I’m also wiser and smarter right now. How’s it that I could do it and do it in the best scientific way while feeling good and spice things up? Like I said, it’s an idea that’s just floating around. If I do decide to go down to 125 pounds, it’s going to be a six-month process. It’s going to be a six-month process and I’m going to do it right. I think there’s a lot of fun matchups and to ruffle some feathers. Why not? Those flyweights need it.”
