Morning Report: Henry Cejudo is interested in fighting Max Holloway: ‘I’m just too smart and just too skilled’

[9mm]

Guilherme Cruz, MMA Fighting Last year, after successfully defending his UFC bantamweight title, Henry Cejudo retired from MMA. Since then though, the former two-division champ has appeared anything but retired on social media, consistently talking trash to the newly crowned champions at both flyweight and bantamweight, and even attempting to pick a fight with featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Now, Cejudo has opened the door for yet another possible opponent, former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway.
Speaking with ESPN recently, Cejudo spoke about the possibility of returning to the UFC and why a fight with Holloway would interest him.
“I have never called out Holloway,” Cejudo said “Even when he had the belt, I have never called out Max Holloway. But he’s another fight that I feel like in the future I would love to fight because people would not believe me that I could beat him because he’s so damn tall and what he’s been able to do. I love the challenge. I love the fact that people do not believe that I can beat him.
“I think that Max Holloway fight, because nobody would believe me, is the same reason why I would want that fight. He’s taller than me. He’s inflicted a lot more damage on different people. But I feel like I’m just too smart and just too skilled and I love the challenge if I were to ever fight Max Holloway.”
Holloway is of course no longer the featherweight champion, having lost his title to Volkanovski and then losing a controversial split decision in the rematch. Holloway’s most recent performance though was sensational, a savage beatdown of Calvin Katter in January. That win quite possible lines Holloway up for a third shot at Volkanovski, should the champion retain his title against Brian Ortega next week, and if he does, Cejudo will be rooting for Holloway in the trilogy bout.
“I think my IQ, I think my smartness (is my advantage),” Cejudo said. “Of course, he has range. It would be the distance. This is the thing, watch my Dominick Cruz fight. Look at how much taller he is than me and look at how I was able to manage the distance, taking his legs out, the timing portion of it. I think it’s just my IQ. … I personally feel that there’s no doubt in my mind that I can beat him.
“I would love for Max Holloway to win that belt again. I would love to go in there and fight him and to demonstrate to the world how great ‘Triple C’ is. I don’t dare to be great. I am damn great.”
Unfortunately for Cejudo, the UFC seems content to let their former two-division champion exit the sport. Unlike a similar situation with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov where UFC President Dana White has done everything possible to get another fight out of their champion, the UFC was quick to accept Cejudo’s retirement, booking a vacant title fight just two months later. However, Cejudo believes that the UFC could be interested in a fight between he and Holloway, in part because unlike Volkanovksi, who has shown limited interest in fighting Cejudo, he believes Holloway would want to shut him up.
“I think so and I think somebody like Max Holloway is like, ‘Hey, I want to hurt this kid,’” Cejudo said. “Whereas Alexander Volkanovski is like, ‘Is that little twerp, is he still talking?’ Max Holloway would be like, ‘Hey man, this is time for me,’ and I like that. I like the fact that I’d be a huge underdog but the ones that truly know would be like, ‘I’ve got all my money on Cejudo.’
“At the end of the day, to me, it all goes back to tactics. I can beat anybody in the world. I truly do believe that and I’ve demonstrated that. I’ve been an underdog for so many fights and I’ve proven so many people wrong. You may not like me, but you do have to respect me.”

---

[h=1]TOP STORIES[/h]Mad. Belal Muhammad unleashes on Leon Edwards: ‘Man-to-man, if you’re happy with that result, you shouldn’t call yourself a fighter’.
Bygones. Matt Serra reunites with Aljamain Sterling, vows to help in title defense against Petr Yan.
COVID. Coach: Paulo Costa ‘hasn’t fully recovered’ after COVID-19 infection.
Replacement. Kelvin Gastelum replaces Paulo Costa, meets Robert Whittaker in April 17 UFC headliner.
Fatalist. Daniel Cormier supports a redesign of gloves to curb eye pokes but says ‘there’s always gonna be issues’.

---

[h=1]VIDEO STEW[/h]What the Heck.


Stipe Miocic’s journey to UFC champion.


Making history.


Randy Couture getting a limited series.


Darren Till gives a camp update.

---

[h=1]LISTEN UP[/h]The Bash. Interviews with Marc Goddard and Paul Redmond.
The Man and the MITH. Discussing UFC Vegas 21 and Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

---

[h=1]SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE[/h]Beef.

“I just need one takedown. I can shoot one hundred times, he can stop it one hundred times. If I get that one takedown, that 101st attempt, I get him down on his back, it’s gonna be a long night for that guy.” pic.twitter.com/Tx0aSRcEfk
— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) March 16, 2021​

I still outstruck the striker. And you still lost because you’re a fucking moron https://t.co/Uz4Q1eln9V
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) March 16, 2021​

Happy.

Getting the call ?? to fight in 5 weeks
Me: pic.twitter.com/aPiuzHOXYs
— #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum) March 16, 2021​

Heeyyyyy
see y’all soon.
Thank you @danawhite @Mickmaynard2 @AliAbdelaziz00 for this opportunity! #OnAmission4Gold https://t.co/qXCPu5jami
— #OnAmission4Gold (@KelvinGastelum) March 16, 2021​

Don’t believe it.

It was good to see you Lorenzo @danawhite send me location pic.twitter.com/JChChJSCqR
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) March 17, 2021​

Solid.

Once again the champ(internet) remains undefeated smdh @Leon_edwardsmma pic.twitter.com/5b246PlzEs
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) March 16, 2021​

Chandler.

Eventually all your hard work pays off...you just have to still be standing there when it does. Mark my words, See you at the top!
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) March 16, 2021​

Izzy’s feud with the hotel continues. . .

So the hotel called me cuz of the clips I’ve posted. Saying I’d be liable for the cost if the fire department gets called out. So they obviously see that my methods are dangerous and can cause a fire trying to warm up my food. You know what’s less dangerous..a god damn microwave. pic.twitter.com/QEVrnpzDT6
— Israel Adesanya (@stylebender) March 16, 2021​

Important boxing preparation.

I’m literally a tow truck. Ben Askren eatin Oreos right now. April 17th. 1 round knockout. pic.twitter.com/0SQGENf3tn
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) March 15, 2021​

Nice photo op. Oreos are gross, I prefer chocolate chip. https://t.co/nQb14Pen5I
— Funky (@Benaskren) March 17, 2021​

Also.

Idk @danawhite , I just got some work with @jakepaul and it’s not looking good for @Benaskren .... #IronSharpensIron
— Platinum Mike Perry (@PlatinumPerry) March 17, 2021​

you got beat up by @jakepaul today?? Thanks for informing us dummy https://t.co/MINinUHfEC
— Funky (@Benaskren) March 17, 2021​

Decent summation.

Even if you ‘bait’ someone into throwing an illegal knee, it’s still illegal.

And when someone is already a ‘downed fighter’ before their opponent throws a knee to their head, it’s not incidental either. It’s intentional, and illegal.

No wonder fighters are confused. ??? https://t.co/Dp8HPBY6WV
— Dan Hardy (@danhardymma) March 17, 2021​

They’re back.

"We're Back"

Fight Circus VOL:III

FISTING FOR DOLLAR$

NEW TEASER FIGHT IN THREAD!

-This April-#Camsoda #fullmetaldojo #thailand #fightcircus #FC3 #FistingForDollars pic.twitter.com/GNETqOXGee
— Full Metal Dojo (@FullMetalDojo) March 16, 2021​

Fight Circus 3: Fisting for Dollars

Coming Soon!#FistingForDollars pic.twitter.com/CZK6ToAYFO
— Full Metal Dojo (@FullMetalDojo) March 16, 2021​

---

[h=1]FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS[/h]Robert Whittaker (22-5) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (17-6, 1 NC); UFC Fight Night, Apr. 17.

---

[h=1]FINAL THOUGHTS[/h]Thanks for reading and see y’all tomorrow.

---

[h=1]EXIT POLL[/h]

---

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let him know about it. Also follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.


{feed:enclosure_href }


More...