"His reach doesn't mean anything" - Henry Cejudo would "love" Max Holloway fight if bantamweight title fight doesn't materialize
Henry Cejudo fancies a fight against former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway if a fight for the bantamweight championship fails to materialize.
The former simultaneous multi-weight titleholder retired after a successful defense of his 135-pound championship against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. However, it was announced this past May by his manager Ali Abdelaziz that Cejudo has re-entered the USADA testing pool with the intent being a return to competition.
After two years of retirement, Henry Cejudo will re-enter the USADA drug-testing pool Monday, his manager Ali Abdelaziz told @marc_raimondi.
Per the UFC's anti-doping policy, fighters re-entering the pool are typically tested for six months before being eligible to compete. https://t.co/L0X1UXBRaD
'The Messenger' has since called out several fighters, but he appears keen to fight for the bantamweight gold having had his featherweight ambitions stalled by the promotion.
During a recent Q&A session on his YouTube channel, Cejudo claimed that if a fight for the championship at 135 pounds fails to materialize, he'd like to test himself against Max Holloway:
"If I don't get that title shot [at bantamweight], I would love that fight with Holloway. If I could skip Holloway win and then eventually fight Volk [Alexander Volkanovski] that will be a little more ideal for me. [But] that Max Holloway fight sounds good to me."
Cejudo added that Holloway's reach advantage will not come in handy if they share the octagon:
"He's lost to a shorter fighter and I'm shorter than Volkanovski. And as you guys can see, his reach doesn't mean anything if you understand distance."
Watch the full Q&A below:
Henry Cejudo sees Max Holloway as the path to fighting Alexander Volkanovski
Henry Cejudo believes featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski would be the ideal fight for his UFC comeback.
The No.1-ranked men's pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC is amongst the many fighters on the roster whom Cejudo has set his sights on.
I respect the sh*t out @alexvolkanovski, but I know I can challenge him. It's the challenge that excites me. I want to make history. Let's make it happen 🤝 #UFC276 #C4
youtu.be/yPyxvBAcxxc https://t.co/pKd3uC0AF7
Volkanovski's fighting style has been Max Holloway's kryptonite. At UFC 276, 'The Great' closed the chapter on their longstanding rivalry by getting the better of Holloway with a dominant unanimous decision victory.
Speaking on MMA Underground in a past interview, Cejudo touched upon how a victory over Holloway would land him the opportunity to fight Volkanovski:
"One of the fights that come to mind if I come back is Max Holloway. If you won’t give me Alexander the average, give me Holloway. Okay, if they want me to fight somebody to get into that title fight, give me Holloway. I know I can beat him, and then I’ll get Alexander the average. I’m curious to see what Holloway would say about the fight, I respect him, but I also know he’s really beatable. But, I know he’s really dangerous too, that’s why I like him.”
Watch the interview below:
Cejudo has long expressed his desire to become the UFC's first three-division champion by achieving success at 145 pounds.