Cejudo: How this time is different
Henry Cejudo: “This is Ronda Rousey-Holly Holm. This is going down like that. That’s the way I see it.”
Henry Cejudo won an Olympic gold medal in wrestling, and eventually transitioned to mixed martial arts. He put together a perfect 10-0 record before securing a liver shot from inaugural UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in 2016. Cejudo next lost a Split Decision to Joseph Benavidez, after a point deduction for repeated low blows. Cejudo rebounded with wins last year over Wilson Reis and Sergio Pettis, and he rematches ‘Mighty’ Johnson at UFC 227 on Saturday.
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In an interview with Thomas Gerbasi for UFC.com, Cejudo detailed his mindset before the first fight.
I was only fighting in the UFC for a year when I was offered that fight, said Cejudo. And I was only fighting for three years. … My mindset was not only am I gonna beat this guy, but I’m just gonna drag him through the mud. I’m gonna show people my skills, my strength, and my will. I’m gonna use it upon him.
I didn’t think Demetrious Johnson could do that to me. I really didn’t. And I got a rude awakening. [I thought of myself] You’re good, you’re an athlete, you’re a great wrestler, but you’ve still got a lot to learn. So I went back to the drawing board, got rid of a lot of people immediately in my camp and in my life, and now I’m here today – ready, focused and excited to stop the ‘Mouse.’
We’re not fighting a regular fighter. We’re not fighting a top ten guy, a top five guy. We’re fighting the pound-for-pound best fighter in history. … It’s not just a victory for me; it’s a victory for my division, it’s a victory for my coaches, my training partners and my family. It’s a victory for my legacy. It’s a victory of redemption, which means more to me than a win, just to know that maybe I got knocked out the first fight, but hey, I’m back.
This is Ronda Rousey-Holly Holm. This is going down like that. That’s the way I see it. … It’s gonna be different because I know what to expect. I watched too much film, I’ve been in the ring with him, and I understand Demetrious Johnson more. … We all bleed red. He’s human just like me. And the beautiful thing about mixed martial arts is that anything can happen.
