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Adrian Yanez has dismissed any arguments against Henry Cejudo receiving an immediate UFC title shot if he comes out of retirement.
Cejudo made his MMA debut in 2013 after a decorated wrestling career that saw him win gold at the 2008 Olympic Games. A perfect 10-0 record with four UFC victories eventually earned him a shot against the promotion’s longtime flyweight king Demetrious Johnson at UFC 197, where “Mighty Mouse” stopped the former Olympian in the first round.
“The Messenger” returned later that year and lost a split decision to Joseph Benavidez, but those back-to-back losses ended up preceding an incredible six-fight run that began in 2017. That streak saw the 35-year-old win and defend the UFC’s bantamweight and flyweight titles before announcing his retirement in 2020 following his victory over former champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 249.
The former two-weight champion has spent the last few months teasing a return to fighting, and a matchup with UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling has quickly become a talking point for his potential return fight.
“He Did Everything Right”
The UFC’s bantamweight division has no shortage of active fighters looking for a shot at the belt, but the #13-ranked Yanez sees no issue with Cejudo getting an immediate title shot.
Speaking to MMA Underground’s John Morgan, Yanez shared his thoughts on a possible Sterling vs. Cejudo matchup and also argued in favor of “The Messenger” challenging for a title in his first bout since 2020.
Cejudo retired after defeating Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. (Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)
“I feel like that’s a phenomenal fight,” Yanez said. “And lot of people are like, ‘Well, he doesn’t deserve to come back and get the title shot.’ Bro, he left as a champ, as a double-champ. He defended it, he did everything right. He didn’t get popped for steroids or anything like that. He came back into the testing pool, did everything right. And you know, he’s kept himself relevant while being retired, in the mix. He told me he was coming back, back in International Fight Week…We had a good conversation, I like the guy. He’s stayed true to his word, and he honestly wanted to come back earlier than expected. But I think that fight’s gonna be a phenomenal fight overall.”
Cejudo had already retired by the time Yanez joined the UFC in 2020, but the 29-year-old has quickly made a name for himself as one of the bantamweight division’s hottest up-and-comers. The Texan is 5-0 in the UFC and has earned stoppages in four of those bouts, including his last fight in May where he brutalized Tony Kelley for a first-round TKO.
The win over Kelley was Yanez’s only fight of 2022, but his 2023 schedule will kick off with the biggest opportunity of his young career. The 29-year-old is set to take on the #6-ranked Rob Font at UFC 287 in April, and a win could see Yanez knocking on the door of the bantamweight Top 5 as well as future title contention
What do you think of Yanez’s argument for why Cejudo deserves an immediate title shot if he returns to fighting?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Adrian Yanez has dismissed any arguments against Henry Cejudo receiving an immediate UFC title shot if he comes out of retirement.
Cejudo made his MMA debut in 2013 after a decorated wrestling career that saw him win gold at the 2008 Olympic Games. A perfect 10-0 record with four UFC victories eventually earned him a shot against the promotion’s longtime flyweight king Demetrious Johnson at UFC 197, where “Mighty Mouse” stopped the former Olympian in the first round.
“The Messenger” returned later that year and lost a split decision to Joseph Benavidez, but those back-to-back losses ended up preceding an incredible six-fight run that began in 2017. That streak saw the 35-year-old win and defend the UFC’s bantamweight and flyweight titles before announcing his retirement in 2020 following his victory over former champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 249.
The former two-weight champion has spent the last few months teasing a return to fighting, and a matchup with UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling has quickly become a talking point for his potential return fight.
“He Did Everything Right”
The UFC’s bantamweight division has no shortage of active fighters looking for a shot at the belt, but the #13-ranked Yanez sees no issue with Cejudo getting an immediate title shot.
Speaking to MMA Underground’s John Morgan, Yanez shared his thoughts on a possible Sterling vs. Cejudo matchup and also argued in favor of “The Messenger” challenging for a title in his first bout since 2020.
Cejudo retired after defeating Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. (Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)
“I feel like that’s a phenomenal fight,” Yanez said. “And lot of people are like, ‘Well, he doesn’t deserve to come back and get the title shot.’ Bro, he left as a champ, as a double-champ. He defended it, he did everything right. He didn’t get popped for steroids or anything like that. He came back into the testing pool, did everything right. And you know, he’s kept himself relevant while being retired, in the mix. He told me he was coming back, back in International Fight Week…We had a good conversation, I like the guy. He’s stayed true to his word, and he honestly wanted to come back earlier than expected. But I think that fight’s gonna be a phenomenal fight overall.”
Cejudo had already retired by the time Yanez joined the UFC in 2020, but the 29-year-old has quickly made a name for himself as one of the bantamweight division’s hottest up-and-comers. The Texan is 5-0 in the UFC and has earned stoppages in four of those bouts, including his last fight in May where he brutalized Tony Kelley for a first-round TKO.
The win over Kelley was Yanez’s only fight of 2022, but his 2023 schedule will kick off with the biggest opportunity of his young career. The 29-year-old is set to take on the #6-ranked Rob Font at UFC 287 in April, and a win could see Yanez knocking on the door of the bantamweight Top 5 as well as future title contention
What do you think of Yanez’s argument for why Cejudo deserves an immediate title shot if he returns to fighting?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
Cejudo made his MMA debut in 2013 after a decorated wrestling career that saw him win gold at the 2008 Olympic Games. A perfect 10-0 record with four UFC victories eventually earned him a shot against the promotion’s longtime flyweight king Demetrious Johnson at UFC 197, where “Mighty Mouse” stopped the former Olympian in the first round.
“The Messenger” returned later that year and lost a split decision to Joseph Benavidez, but those back-to-back losses ended up preceding an incredible six-fight run that began in 2017. That streak saw the 35-year-old win and defend the UFC’s bantamweight and flyweight titles before announcing his retirement in 2020 following his victory over former champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 249.
The former two-weight champion has spent the last few months teasing a return to fighting, and a matchup with UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling has quickly become a talking point for his potential return fight.
“He Did Everything Right”
The UFC’s bantamweight division has no shortage of active fighters looking for a shot at the belt, but the #13-ranked Yanez sees no issue with Cejudo getting an immediate title shot.
Speaking to MMA Underground’s John Morgan, Yanez shared his thoughts on a possible Sterling vs. Cejudo matchup and also argued in favor of “The Messenger” challenging for a title in his first bout since 2020.
Cejudo retired after defeating Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. (Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports)
“I feel like that’s a phenomenal fight,” Yanez said. “And lot of people are like, ‘Well, he doesn’t deserve to come back and get the title shot.’ Bro, he left as a champ, as a double-champ. He defended it, he did everything right. He didn’t get popped for steroids or anything like that. He came back into the testing pool, did everything right. And you know, he’s kept himself relevant while being retired, in the mix. He told me he was coming back, back in International Fight Week…We had a good conversation, I like the guy. He’s stayed true to his word, and he honestly wanted to come back earlier than expected. But I think that fight’s gonna be a phenomenal fight overall.”
Cejudo had already retired by the time Yanez joined the UFC in 2020, but the 29-year-old has quickly made a name for himself as one of the bantamweight division’s hottest up-and-comers. The Texan is 5-0 in the UFC and has earned stoppages in four of those bouts, including his last fight in May where he brutalized Tony Kelley for a first-round TKO.
The win over Kelley was Yanez’s only fight of 2022, but his 2023 schedule will kick off with the biggest opportunity of his young career. The 29-year-old is set to take on the #6-ranked Rob Font at UFC 287 in April, and a win could see Yanez knocking on the door of the bantamweight Top 5 as well as future title contention
What do you think of Yanez’s argument for why Cejudo deserves an immediate title shot if he returns to fighting?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Adrian Yanez has dismissed any arguments against Henry Cejudo receiving an immediate UFC title shot if he comes out of retirement.
Cejudo made his MMA debut in 2013 after a decorated wrestling career that saw him win gold at the 2008 Olympic Games. A perfect 10-0 record with four UFC victories eventually earned him a shot against the promotion’s longtime flyweight king Demetrious Johnson at UFC 197, where “Mighty Mouse” stopped the former Olympian in the first round.
“The Messenger” returned later that year and lost a split decision to Joseph Benavidez, but those back-to-back losses ended up preceding an incredible six-fight run that began in 2017. That streak saw the 35-year-old win and defend the UFC’s bantamweight and flyweight titles before announcing his retirement in 2020 following his victory over former champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 249.
The former two-weight champion has spent the last few months teasing a return to fighting, and a matchup with UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling has quickly become a talking point for his potential return fight.
“He Did Everything Right”
The UFC’s bantamweight division has no shortage of active fighters looking for a shot at the belt, but the #13-ranked Yanez sees no issue with Cejudo getting an immediate title shot.
Speaking to MMA Underground’s John Morgan, Yanez shared his thoughts on a possible Sterling vs. Cejudo matchup and also argued in favor of “The Messenger” challenging for a title in his first bout since 2020.
“I feel like that’s a phenomenal fight,” Yanez said. “And lot of people are like, ‘Well, he doesn’t deserve to come back and get the title shot.’ Bro, he left as a champ, as a double-champ. He defended it, he did everything right. He didn’t get popped for steroids or anything like that. He came back into the testing pool, did everything right. And you know, he’s kept himself relevant while being retired, in the mix. He told me he was coming back, back in International Fight Week…We had a good conversation, I like the guy. He’s stayed true to his word, and he honestly wanted to come back earlier than expected. But I think that fight’s gonna be a phenomenal fight overall.”
Cejudo had already retired by the time Yanez joined the UFC in 2020, but the 29-year-old has quickly made a name for himself as one of the bantamweight division’s hottest up-and-comers. The Texan is 5-0 in the UFC and has earned stoppages in four of those bouts, including his last fight in May where he brutalized Tony Kelley for a first-round TKO.
The win over Kelley was Yanez’s only fight of 2022, but his 2023 schedule will kick off with the biggest opportunity of his young career. The 29-year-old is set to take on the #6-ranked Rob Font at UFC 287 in April, and a win could see Yanez knocking on the door of the bantamweight Top 5 as well as future title contention
What do you think of Yanez’s argument for why Cejudo deserves an immediate title shot if he returns to fighting?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.
Click here to view the article.
