Henry Cejudo has two names in mind if Merab Dvalishvili isn’t able to get healthy in a timely fashion.
Dvalishvili recently underwent surgery and when he will be able to fight again is uncertain. With that, Cejudo says he wants to remain active so if he can’t fight Dvalishvili, he would like to settle his bad blood against Brandon Moreno, but it would have to be at 135lbs, as he can’t see himself fighting at flyweight again.
“Bring him up and then who knows? If the UFC is willing to offer me a bunch of money to go down to 125, I’ll do it. That’s not my plan. But if Brandon wants this smoke, and I know what I used to do to him in sparring. If he wants this smoke, if he gets past Pantoja, which I know he won’t, I’ll be willing to do that fight, too,” Cejudo said to ESPN. “A good old Mexican showdown and trust me, I want a piece of him. I called him out the first time. I wanted to fight him after he went over with Joseph Benavidez and trained with him and didn’t tell me, and I had to find out through social media… There’s bad blood there. There’s a great storyline. Obviously, he’s the baby face in the UFC. I’m the heel. Show me the money, let’s make it happen, baby.”
As Henry Cejudo mentions, Brandon Moreno is set to defend his flyweight title at UFC 290 against Alexandre Pantoja, and whether or not he would go up to face ‘Triple C’ at 135lbs is uncertain.
RELATED: Aljamain Sterling believes the UFC is trying to force Sean O’Malley into a knockoff Conor McGregor.
If Moreno does decide to stay at flyweight, Henry Cejudo says he is interested in a featherweight fight with Max Holloway. ‘Triple C’ of course wants the chance to become a three-weight world champion.
“If they are going to sideline me or whatever, after the fight after Merab, or if nothing takes place, I’d be willing to challenge Holloway. As shitty as I looked against Aljamain, I know when the stakes are high that is when I can really compete. Getting those five rounds under my belt has built that callus for me to take another good fight and be ready,” Cejudo said. “I’m not opposed to that. If you watch my fight with Dominick right before I retired to Aljamain, there is a different bounce to me and that is what comes with a bit of a layoff. I’m not opposed to that fight with Holloway nor am I opposed to Brandon Moreno if the UFC does want to show us the money if he does beat Pantoja that we do a showdown between me and him.”
Whether or not either of those fights take place is uncertain but regardless, Cejudo wants a big fight next time out.
