3 reasons why Henry Cejudo should be considered an all-time great of the UFC - and 2 reasons why he shouldn't
Rumors are currently swirling around regarding the UFC comeback of former bantamweight and flyweight champion Henry Cejudo. Reports suggest that he could be looking for an instant shot at the 135lb title upon his return.
With Henry Cejudo looking set for a UFC comeback in the near future, it’s worth considering his legacy – is he an all-time great, or is he somewhat overrated? ‘Triple C’ himself would definitely like to believe the former is the case, but in reality, his legacy is one of the most debatable in UFC history.
With that in mind, here are three reasons why Henry Cejudo is an all-time great of the UFC – and two reasons why he’s not.
#3. Henry Cejudo handed Demetrious Johnson his only loss in the UFC at 125lbs
Given that he holds the record for the most successful title defenses in UFC history, it’s fair to say that nobody can ever question the legacy of Demetrious Johnson. Put simply, ‘Mighty Mouse’ is one of the greatest fighters to ever set foot inside the octagon.
With that considered, then, how can anyone look down upon the only fighter to beat him in the octagon at 125lbs, Henry Cejudo?
For those who’ve forgotten, ‘Triple C’ first took a shot at Johnson and his UFC flyweight title in early 2016, and it didn’t end well for him. After ‘Mighty Mouse’ hurt him with a series of knees to the head and body, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist fell prey to a first-round TKO defeat.
However, it’s fair to say that Cejudo wasn’t fully developed as a fighter at that stage. He’d only had 10 professional bouts, with just four of them coming in the octagon.
By the time that ‘Triple C’ had earned a second shot at Johnson, he was much-improved, particularly in his striking game. While the result of their fight was semi-controversial – a number of observers felt that ‘Mighty Mouse’ had done enough to claim a win – Cejudo was able to unseat the champion.
WHAT A FIGHT!
Who took it? #UFC227 https://t.co/kEbDHjq2Bh
Sure, the fight wasn’t a violent changing of the guard like Georges St-Pierre’s win over Matt Hughes in 2006, for instance, or Jon Jones’ victory over Shogun Rua. However, it did signal a new beginning for the flyweight division.
Given that ‘Triple C’ was responsible for Johnson’s only loss in the octagon at flyweight, it’s hard to argue against his status as an all-time great in his own right.
#2. Henry Cejudo saved the UFC flyweight division by beating T.J. Dillashaw
While it didn’t take him long in the end – just 32 seconds to be exact – it’s hard to play down the importance of Henry Cejudo’s 2019 defeat of then-bantamweight kingpin T.J. Dillashaw in their champion vs. champion clash.
Prior to the clash, which acted as the headliner on the UFC’s first-ever shown on ESPN+, rumors had swirled around regarding the future of the flyweight division, with some suggestions that the promotion was ready to scrap it altogether at one point.
However, despite Dillashaw promising to beat Cejudo to kill the division once and for all, it was ‘Triple C’ who came through, destroying his foe with a flurry of strikes in the bout’s opening seconds to cement himself as the top 125lber on the planet.
HENRY CEJUDO!!!!!!!
Messaged. Sent. WOW!!!!! #UFCBrooklyn @HenryCejudo https://t.co/5gx41CdUOM
After Cejudo’s win, Dana White was quick to praise him, seemingly confirming that he had indeed saved the flyweight division. He went on to state that while people didn’t care about the previous champion Demetrious Johnson, ‘Triple C’ could change that.
With that considered, it’s probably fair to suggest that today’s top flyweights, including current champ Deiveson Figueiredo and his great rival Brandon Moreno, have Cejudo to thank for their roster spots.
If that doesn’t make a fighter an all-time great, then, it’s hard to imagine what could.
#1. Henry Cejudo is one of just a handful of simultaneous double champions in UFC history
Remarkably, while many great fighters have attempted it, there have only ever been four simultaneous double champions in UFC history: Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes and Henry Cejudo.
It’s hard to actually put into context how massive of an achievement this is for any fighter. It’s difficult enough to claim gold inside the octagon in one division, let alone two. It’s fair to say that dethroning a champion in a weight class above is near impossible for most.
Okay, so the idea of becoming a champ-champ does come with a bit of a caveat: usually, any fighter attempting to do so is allowed to jump the queue directly to a title shot in their second weight class.
However, the fact that other greats such as B.J. Penn, Max Holloway and Israel Adesanya attempted to become double champions and failed demonstrates the difficult nature of the achievement.
Therefore, given that there was no controversy around Cejudo’s bantamweight title victory over Marlon Moraes – particularly as he’d already beaten T.J. Dillashaw, who was forced to vacate the title after testing positive for banned substances – there’s no way to talk his achievement down.
DOUBLE CHAMP!
@HenryCejudo #UFC238 https://t.co/gsFpDN2KCw
Essentially, McGregor, Cormier and Nunes are all seen as amongst the all-time greats. So Cejudo, who also defended the bantamweight title successfully, should be considered amongst them too.
While the above are all reasons for considering Henry Cejudo an all-time great of the UFC, there is another side of the coin to consider.
#2. Henry Cejudo’s wins aren’t all that great in hindsight
For a fighter to be considered an all-time great of the UFC, they’ve obviously got to have a laundry list of big wins to back that claim up. Unfortunately for Henry Cejudo, it’s arguable that his wins just aren’t all that great in hindsight.
Largely thanks to the phenomenal wrestling skills that won him an Olympic gold medal in 2008, Cejudo was basically fast-tracked up the ladder in the UFC. That meant he didn’t actually beat all that many contenders prior to his two shots at flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson.
‘Triple C’ fell to ‘Mighty Mouse’ in his first attempt, but while he dethroned the longtime champion in their rematch, the fight was remarkably close and the split decision that handed Cejudo his first piece of UFC gold was considered a controversial one.
Cejudo followed that win with three TKO victories, stopping T.J. Dillashaw, Marlon Moraes and Dominick Cruz. The Moraes win handed him the bantamweight title earlier vacated by Dillashaw, making him a simultaneous double champion.
However, it’s arguable that caveats hang over all three wins.
Dillashaw was fighting at 125lbs for the first time and looked painfully depleted, making the lack of durability he showed in his fight with Cejudo understandable. Whether a bout between the two at 135lbs would’ve looked different is a fair debate.
Moraes, meanwhile, was riding a four-fight win streak coming into his bout with ‘Triple C’. However, after losing to Cejudo, he went on a real slide, winning just one more fight – a controversial decision over Jose Aldo – before retiring off the back of four straight TKO defeats.
Whether the loss to Cejudo broke him, or whether he was simply not that great to begin with, is probably a genuine question to ask.
Cruz, meanwhile, hadn’t fought in nearly four years before he stepped into the octagon with ‘Triple C’ and was understandably rusty. More to the point, ‘The Dominator’ also had some complaints about the decision to stop the fight.
@HenryCejudo DEFENDS AND STOPS DOMINICK CRUZ! #UFC249THAT'S IT! MESSAGE SENT!
🏆 @HenryCejudo DEFENDS AND STOPS DOMINICK CRUZ! #UFC249 https://t.co/bqWcYPsuDu
If you take into account that all four of Cejudo’s biggest wins could come with an asterisk, then, it’s hard to consider him an all-time great.
#1. Henry Cejudo didn’t stick around long enough to really cement his legacy
Perhaps the biggest reason for not considering Henry Cejudo an all-time great of the UFC is the fact that, frankly, he just didn’t stick around for long enough.
‘Triple C’ debuted in the octagon in 2014, and won his first title – the flyweight crown – in the summer of 2018. Remarkably, though, just three fights and two years later, he decided to hang up his gloves.
After defending his UFC bantamweight title, @HenryCejudo unexpectedly announced his retirement from the sport of MMA 🤯 #UFC249 https://t.co/5jIhrp4LsC
It’s arguable that the former Olympian was at the peak of his powers when he made that call, too. When he stepped away from competition in May 2020, he’d just defeated Dominick Cruz to defend his bantamweight title and was clearly the top 135lber on the planet.
However, his decision to step away meant that we never got to see him face top contenders such as Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling. Had he beaten them, then there’d be no question of his status. Without those kind of wins, however, it’s hard to truly quantify him.
Compared to all-time greats who dominated for years, such as Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre and Demetrious Johnson, then, Cejudo’s legacy pales in comparison.
In fact, the only fighter who had a comparably short but successful run at the top would be Conor McGregor. However, the Irishman established himself as a remarkable drawing card during that period, something Cejudo never did during his run.
‘Triple C’ can definitely become an all-time great if he returns and reclaims the bantamweight title he didn’t actually lose in the octagon, but if that doesn’t happen, it’s hard to consider him up there with the very best.