Henry Cejudo is willing to put aside his personal relationship with a former student in order to pull off a huge showdown for the fans.
The former two-weight world champion believes he still has what it takes to beat the man he once taught.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Henry Cejudo drafts Alexandre Pantoja for UFC flyweight title fight
In 2016, Henry Cejudo acted as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions.
His team included a plethora of talented mixed martial artists, but none more so than Alexandre Pantoja.
The Mexican-American developed a close bond with his student and did his utmost to improve his skills and guide him all the way to the semi-finals.
After the show ended, Cejudo won two UFC championship belts before retiring and eventually making his comeback.
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Now the UFC flyweight division belongs to Pantoja, with the Brazilian willing to take on anyone. With that in mind, his old coach hopes they can forget about their friendship for 25 minutes and put on a great fight for the MMA community.
In an interview with Cageside Press, 'Triple C' explained: “Sometimes you have to show the student what you've taught them. It's certainly a possibility. It's something I've been thinking about for a while.
“I'll be 38 next month. So if the time comes, it has to happen now. But I still feel good. I'm not one of those guys who got hit in the head [too many times] or have been through too many wars. Yes, I've had wars, but I've been pretty determined not to experience them.
“We'll see how this cut goes. I feel good about it. But at 125 pounds, it's horrible to do that. What I need is a lot of time. Instead of my fight camps being short at 135 pounds, they need to be a little longer at 125 pounds so I can make it gradually.
“And the thing is, I love Pantoja, for example, I don't think there's a better person on planet Earth; I really admire the size of his heart.
“If Pantoja didn't want to fight and said, 'I don't want to fight you,' I probably wouldn't do it, to that extent it is true.
“I know he has always welcomed challenges; I know he said it would be an honor to fight me, so I think this is the best way to do it.
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While Cejudo is excited about what the future holds, he must first focus on the task at hand before he can start preparing for a match with Pantoja.
The warrior returns to action on February 22 against Song Yadong in a highly anticipated bout at UFC Seattle.
His opponent won't be his only opponent, however, as the Los Angeles-born competitor looks forward to reuniting with one of the biggest rivals of his career.
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