After he defeated Marlon Moraes to become a two-division UFC champion at UFC 238, UFC flyweight and bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo announced that he hopes to move up to the featherweight division in the future and challenge for that division’s belt too.
Alex Volkanovski, arguably the top contender in the UFC featherweight division, is advising Henry Cejudo to think again.
“Stay in your lane, Henry. Come on mate,” Volkanovski told Submission Radio recently (transcript via MMA Fighting).
“Honestly, what he’s done is unbelievable. It was good on him. I actually picked him to win. I didn’t expect him to have so many problems earlier. I knew the guy was powerful. Maybe the ankle was why was he was sort of cowering to the kicks a little bit, if you know what I mean. . . So for him to overcome that and get it done, good on him. Him coming to 145, you gotta be quick in this division, but we’re still quick and we’re just a whole another powerful type of beast. And we’re a stacked division, a lot of very tough guys in our division that I don’t think he’ll want any of that. But maybe he’ll give it a crack, maybe UFC will let him do it. But yeah, that will change quick.”
Earlier this week, Henry Cejudo added that he hopes to battle Frankie Edgar for the featherweight title, should Edgar defeat the champ Max Holloway at UFC 240 in July. For Alex Volkanovski, who is expected to get a fight with the Edgar-Holloway winner, this comment from Cejudo didn’t go over well.
“Obviously I was dirty on it,” Volkanovski said. “Like, what the hell? But, you know, again, I always try and stay positive. Even when you’re in a hospital bed worrying about your leg being chopped off, getting the title off you, you know what I mean? I was hit pretty hard all at once. But at the same time I was like, well, it is what it is, I’m still looking, let’s get this leg better. I still want that title by the end of the year. So, you know, that still looks like that’s the plans anyway. So, let them fight.
“If anyone was gonna grass cut the title in front of me I’m glad it was Frankie. Frankie was someone that does deserve it. He’s been around, he’s done great things for the sport, he is a top bloke. So, good on him. But at the same time, if he wins or someone gets injured on July 26th, I’m filling in for that spot and I’ll take that title on. I’ll be ready. I’m gonna fight fit, I’m gonna stay on weight. But if not, whoever wins can take me on later that year. I want that belt before the end of 2019. That’s my goal. So one more fight and I want that belt before the end of the year.”
What do you think of this comment from Alex Volkanovski? Should Henry Cejudo stick to the bantamweight division?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 6/14/2019.