Henry Cejudo believes one hypothetical UFC bout next year would top the fanfare of Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall.
2025 will be another monumental year in the Octagon for the UFC fans, fighters and fans. There are already several high-profile bouts lined up for UFC 311, including the UFC lightweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan.
The UFC is in active negotiations between UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones and interim titleholder Tom Aspinall for a bout in 2025. Jones recently defended the heavyweight title at UFC 309 and despite a teased retirement, he pivoted on that stance after finishing Stipe Miocic.
Fans continue to push for the UFC to hold the Jones vs. Aspinall fight, which Dana White has already called the greatest heavyweight fight in the promotion's history. But for Henry Cejudo, a potential champion vs. champion superfight could trump the intrigue surrounding Jones vs. Aspinall.
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Henry Cejudo: Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria is the UFC's biggest possible blockbuster
During a recent episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cejudo made a bold claim about a possible confrontation between Makhachev and Ilia Topuria.
“Personally, I believe this fight could potentially be bigger than Jon Jones versus Tom Aspinall,” Cejudo said of Makhachev versus Topuria. “Competitive, of course. And that's not all, it's the simple fact that Ilia Topuria has a chance to become champion.
“At heavyweight it's about who is the undisputed champion. But if Ilia wins in this position, he falls into the category of… people will give him his flowers.”
Topuria recently announced a planned move to lightweight, instead of defending the featherweight belt for his next fight. A rematch with Alexander Volkanovski was suggested after his last win over Max Holloway, but it is uncertain whether that will hold up.
Topuria and Makhachev have clashed in the media over the past year. If Makhachev gets past Tsarukyan in their UFC 311 rematch, a clash with Topuria could make sense for both sides.
Topuria claimed he would become the first fighter to submit Makhachev in his UFC career. Makhachev's only loss was a knockout against Adriano Martins at UFC 192.
Ilia Topuria is aiming for a lightweight move in 2025
Topuria's potential addition to the UFC lightweight lineup is an intriguing storyline heading into 2025. Makhachev has retained the title against most of the top contenders, and Topuria would be another challenge for the title holder.
Topuria has competed once at lightweight during his UFC tenure, a come-from-behind finish of Jai Herbert in March 2022. He is undefeated in his career with featherweight wins over Josh Emmett, Bryce Mitchell and Ryan Hall.
If Topuria makes good on his promise to move up to lightweight, a clash with Makhachev could be on the cards. The superstardom of Makhachev and Topuria makes Cejudo believe it's a bigger fight than Jones versus Aspinall.
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