Is Henry Cejudo as good as advertised? Analyzing his chances of beating Merab Dvalishvili
Henry Cejudo is often touted, usually by himself, as one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time. He is a former UFC two-division champion—having reigned over both flyweight and bantamweight—as well as an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling.
From these accomplishments, the moniker of 'Triple C' was born. However, that isn't the full extent of his legend, as he has also beaten the two men largely hailed as the greatest in their respective divisions: Demetrious Johnson and Dominick Cruz. However, is he as good as his record indicates?
At UFC 298, 'Triple C' will take on Merab Dvalishvili in a bout with massive implications for Cejudo's future in the division. But at 37 years old, is he good enough to beat Dvalishvili? Was he ever? In fact, is he even as good as he claims, or do his best wins deserve more scrutiny?
Analyzing Henry Cejudo's signature wins
Four fighters are responsible for the strength of Henry Cejudo's legacy. The Olympic gold medalist defeated Demetrious Johnson, T.J. Dillashaw, Marlon Moraes, and Dominick Cruz. All four men are the best wins of his career, and all for different reasons.
First, Johnson is widely regarded as the greatest flyweight of all time and arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history. When Cejudo and Johnson locked horns in their rematch, 'Mighty Mouse' was fresh off breaking the UFC record for the most consecutive title defenses and hadn't tasted defeat in 14 fights.
Among those 14 fights was a crushing TKO win over Cejudo himself. So at UFC 227, with the flyweight title on the line, the Olympian had a lot to prove. To his credit, he fared far better in the rematch than he did the first time. He dragged Johnson to hell and back in a highly competitive bout.
In the end, both men were awarded Fight of the Night honors. However, there could only be one winner. For many, 'Mighty Mouse' had done enough to earn his 12th consecutive title defense. Instead, it was Cejudo's hand that was raised as the winner of a split decision, and he was crowned the new UFC flyweight champion.
While Cejudo gave a good account of himself, his was not a convincing win. It was controversial, and some went as far as labeling it a robbery. Thus, his win over Johnson was not an exclamation point but a question mark. Nevertheless, he took on a daunting challenge for his next fight.
With 'Mighty Mouse' subsequently finding a new home at ONE Championship, the future 'Triple C' was tasked with welcoming T.J. Dillashaw to the flyweight division. At the time, Dillashaw was the reigning bantamweight champion and if he was to be believed, tasked with wiping the flyweight division off the roster.
However, he was less a hired gun on a mission and more an ambitious fighter in pursuit of historical glory. Dillashaw sought to capture Cejudo's flyweight title to crown himself a simultaneous two-division champion, an accomplishment managed by very few in the promotion.
Furthermore, if Dillashaw succeeded, he'd distinguish himself as the only fighter to hold two simultaneous UFC titles by going down a division. However, Dillashaw was a large bantamweight, and making the cut to 125 pounds would almost surely drain him, and it did, which is why he opted to use EPO, a banned substance.
While it enabled him to make the weight, he was a skeleton on the scales, sunken cheeks and all. Come fight night, he was in suboptimal condition, the lack of fluid in his brain rendering him unable to absorb Cejudo's blows. He crumbled within 32 seconds but decried the TKO as a premature stoppage.
Check out Henry Cejudo beating T.J. Dillashaw:
Cejudo won, but again, with an asterisk. After beating Dillashaw, a rematch seemed imminent. Only this time, it would be for Dillashaw's bantamweight title instead of Cejudo's flyweight strap. But the rematch never came, as a positive EPO test disgraced Dillashaw's legacy, and he relinquished the belt.
Thus, the Olympic gold medalist would next face the then-streaking Marlon Moraes for the vacant bantamweight title. Ahead of the bout, the Brazilian bruiser had a favorable reputation as a finisher on the feet and the mat. He was a well-muscled, powerful 135-pounder and proved it in round one against Cejudo.
After a fairly one-sided first round where he struggled to contend with Moraes' physicality, Cejudo made the necessary mid-fight adjustments by abandoning his wide, bladed karate stance, as it left him vulnerable to Moraes' powerful low kicks. Instead, he reverted to his boxer-wrestler style of old, smothering his foe's kicks.
By round three, Moraes was exhausted and on the receiving end of a TKO loss. Cejudo was crowned a simultaneous two-division champion, and the win seemed great. Though in retrospect, it became questionable, as Moraes would go on to lose seven of his next 8 fights.
Check out Henry Cejudo vs. Marlon Moraes:
Afterward, 'Triple C' took on the then consensus greatest bantamweight of all time, Dominick Cruz. Unfortunately, 'The Dominator' was not at his absolute best. At the time, he was making his octagon return after a four-year hiatus and coming off a one-sided loss to Cody Garbrand that exposed the limitations of his style.
Also, Cruz was 35 at the time and past his physical prime in a weight class that is extremely unforgiving to aging fighters. He was old, coming off a loss, had four years' worth of cage rust, and was slower while still using a style that relies primarily on speed and agility.
So when both men crossed swords, Cejudo made Cruz pay for his tendency to exit exchanges at angles with exaggerated dips. He first limited his mobility by chopping down his legs with low kicks, then intercepted his dips with knees, TKO'ing him in round two, a stoppage that Cruz heavily protested.
Check out Henry Cejudo TKO'ing Dominick Cruz:
Since then, 'Triple C' has gone on to lose to Aljamain Sterling in a closely-contested bout, where his age showed itself. He slowed down as the fight progressed. Now, at 37 years old, against a cardio machine in his physical prime with elite-level wrestling like Merab Dvalishvili, the Olympian is at a disadvantage.
Many of his wins are skeptical, and to go up against a man who thwarted José Aldo and Petr Yan with his bottomless gas tank will be a challenge more difficult than Cejudo anticipates.