"He’d toy with people in the UFC" - Former UFC champion reacts as wrestler Mijain Lopez guns for fifth straight gold at Paris Olympics

Strengthening wrestling prowess has proved to be the recipe for glory for several UFC stars over the years. An extensive competitive background amplifies the potency of the blend, as demonstrated by the careers of several collegiate and Olympic wrestlers who transitioned seamlessly to MMA.

Bearing that in mind, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo acknowledged the skills of Cuba’s Greco-Roman wrestler Mijain Lopez, who is looking to win his fifth straight Olympic gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. The Cuban is one of the most decorated wrestlers in the history of the sport as a four-time Olympic gold medalist, five-time world champion, and five-time Pan American Games champion.

ESPN posted an image of Lopez receiving the gold at the quadrennial international multi-sport event. The post also touched upon the wrestler's decision to retire following the Paris Olympics.

Check out the post below:

As a fellow wrestling gold medalist, Cejudo recognizes the extent to which his skills can translate in MMA. With that in mind, Cejudo commented under the post:

"The most Uncrowned hero ever! He’d toy with people in the UFC!"

Check out Cejudo's reaction below:

Former UFC champion reacts to Mijain Lopez's wrestling accolades [Images courtesy: @espn on Instagram]

Lopez scripted history at the 2020 Tokyo Games by winning the gold medal in the 130kg bracket without losing a single point in the tournament. With that, he became the first male wrestler to win four Olympic gold medals, as well as only the athlete to win four gold medals in the same individual event.

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When former UFC two-division champion Henry Cejudo claimed that wrestling is "tougher" than MMA

Henry Cejudo's career stands as the quintessential example of how wrestling and grappling skills can transition seamlessly in MMA.

However, during his UFC debut against Dustin Kimura in December 2014, Cejudo utilized a striking-heavy approach to score a unanimous decision win. For him, improving his overall skillsets has been a key factor that led him to glory in the sport. The American has rattled off eight KO/TKO victories in his career.

Following his victory over Kimura, Cejudo, however, claimed that wrestling is tougher than MMA. Speaking in an interview with MMA Junkie, he said:

“I hope nobody takes offense to this, but I think (wrestling is) a lot tougher than MMA. When you become the best in the world in wrestling, you’re the best in the world. This isn’t two, or three events. This is once every four years.”

Catch Cejudo's comments below:

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