"I'm like the godfather of mixed martial arts" - Henry Cejudo unbothered that he's "hated by the casuals"

​

Henry Cejudo at UFC 249: Cejudo vs. Cruz [Image courtesy of Getty]

Henry Cejudo recently labeled himself the godfather of MMA and dismissed the hate he receives from "casual" fans.

'Triple C' has been acting as a coach since retiring from the sport of MMA back in 2020. UFC champions like Jon Jones, Zhang Weili, Deiveson Figueiredo, and more have spent time with the former two-division UFC champion to sharpen their skills.

'The Messenger' believes it's his abilities and understanding of the sport that make the best fighters in the world visit him. He stated in a recent interview with ESPN's Marc Raimondi:

​

"My ability. How gifted I am with my ability, how much I can pick up from them too. When you start seeing these guys who have had multiple title defenses, I recognize things from them but also for me that I can tweak that much better... At the end of the day, if I'm not respected, these dudes would not come to me."

Cejudo further went on to say that he is often hated by the new wave of MMA fans. However, the legends of the game come to him because they understand his quality:

"Yeah, I may be hated by the casuals. Those Sean O'Malley fans but at the end of the day, by the legends I am respected. People for advice. I am almost like the MMA whisperer. I'm like the godfather of mixed martial arts."

Watch Henry Cejudo speak to ESPN MMA:

---

Henry Cejudo is eyeing a return to the UFC

Henry Cejudo last fought at UFC 249 where he successfully defended the bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz. He announced his retirement from the sport after the fight.

'The Messenger' has had a career full of accolades, where he won UFC championships in two weight classes and an Olympic gold medal in wrestling.

Now, he is eyeing a return to the octagon and has been going back-and-forth with the likes of Sean O'Malley and Alexander Volkanovski. Cejudo has also teased a fight against Aljamain Sterling.

​

His return would shake up the landscape of the 135lbs division of the UFC. However, there is no timeline yet for Cejudo's comeback to the octagon.

​