On January 19, in the main event of the UFC’s first card on ESPN+, reigning UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw will drop down to the flyweight division to battle divisional king Henry Cejudo for his title.

First, of course, TJ Dillashaw will have to successfully cut down to the flyweight limit of 125 pounds. Henry Cejudo’s manager Ali Abdelaziz has some serious doubts that that will happen.

He expects Dillashaw to miss his mark, in which case Cejudo will apparently not accept the fight. Instead, Abdelaziz says Cejudo will give a short-notice title shot to long-time contender Joseph Benavidez, who has been pegged as an alternate for the fight. 

“I don’t think TJ’s going to make weight and if he misses weight by .1 pounds, Joseph Benavidez is going to fight, we’re going to give Joseph a shot,” Abdelaziz said in a recent interview with MMA Fighting.

“Because I personally don’t think he’ll make it. If he makes it, he’s going to be weak, fragile, and he’s going to have a long, long night with the champ. He’s a good fighter, but he can’t fight at the pace Henry’s going to fight him at 125. He doesn’t have the speed to fight Henry.”

While Ali Abdelaziz has his doubts that TJ Dillashaw will successfully make the cut down to 125 pounds, the bantamweight champion has repeatedly assured it’s doable.

“I walk around lean, I’m on a good diet, I’m on a great lifestyle year-round. I can definitely make the weight,” he said on BJPENN Radio last year. 

Do you think TJ Dillashaw will successfully hit the flyweight limit for his fight with Henry Cejudo?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 1/4/2019.