5 Reasons why the UFC should book Alexander Volkanovski vs. Henry Cejudo
Henry Cejudo has made it clear he’d gladly return for a bout with UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Over a year has passed since Cejudo retired and now, the idea of Cejudo challenging Volkanovski doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
For months, Volkanovski has dismissed the idea of Cejudo cutting the line and immediately challenging for the featherweight championship. Volkanovski said that if Cejudo was truly serious about moving to featherweight, he should fight a top-ranked contender first. If Cejudo fought a top-ranked featherweight, UFC management could identify how he fares at 145lbs against fighters that cut a significant amount of weight.
Initially, UFC president Dana White is opposed to booking a potential Volkanovski vs. Cejudo fight. To an extent, it’s understandable why White may’ve been against Cejudo coming out of retirement and earning a title shot.
Should Cejudo win the title and immediately retire again, it would put the featherweight division on hold. White may also point to Georges St-Pierre as the reason for not awarding a retired fighter a title shot. St-Pierre defeated Michael Bisping to become the new middleweight champion at UFC 217 and then vacated the title shortly after.
This list will look at 5 reasons why the UFC should book Alexander Volkanovski vs. Henry Cejudo.
#5. UFC Schedule
Timing is everything in the UFC and now is a great time to book a fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Henry Cejudo. Volkanovski is coming off another successful title defense that saw him defeat Brian Ortega by unanimous decision.
It seems like White might’ve warmed up to the idea of Volkanovski-Cejudo as he entertained the idea. White was asked about the potential bout during a press-conference and didn’t completely shoot it down like he’s done before.
Volkanovski expressed his desire to remain active as he’d prefer not to have a lengthy layoff before his next title defense. Volkanovski’s next title defense is believed to be against the winner of the upcoming Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez bout. However, depending on how much damage those fighters absorb, Volkanovski could be waiting 4-5 months.
UFC is finalizing a featherweight bout between Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez to headline a UFC Fight Night event on Nov. 13, multiple sources told @bokamotoESPN.
Contracts have not been signed, but the bout is expected to become official shortly. https://t.co/2zL0c1HxU1
With Holloway-Rodriguez taking place next month, Volkanovski could remain active and, in the meantime, defend his title against Cejudo. The UFC could book Volkanovski-Cejudo for early 2022 and still award the winner of Holloway-Rodriguez a title shot.