Ahead of UFC 238, Henry Cejudo spoke to media regarding what’s motivated him to put his personality on display, go for the bantamweight title, and more.
Los Angeles, CA – Cageside Press was on hand for media scrums with some of the stars of UFC 238. Headliner Henry Cejudo was one of them, and he showcased his personality.
After a little banter to kick off the scrum, Henry Cejudo decided it was time to cut an unprovoked promo in true Cejudo fashion:
“I’ve been called some nasty things in my life, and I’m sick of it. I’ve been called a gold-digger. I’ve been called an Olympic champion, a UFC champion, hall of famer, author, dreamcatcher, dream snatcher, GOAT killer, the king of cringe, the greatest combat athlete of all time, but never have I been called the p-word and I’m sick of it. On June 8, that’s all going to change. I will be the next pound-for-pound king. You can tell Daniel Cormier, you can tell Jon Jones, you can tell Khabib Nurmagomedov, that there’s a new sheriff in town. And his name is Henry Cejudo. And guess what? Dana White, if you’re watching, he happens to be a flyweight.”
Cejudo was not nearly as outgoing in front of the cameras on his way up to the title as he is now. One thing has sparked that change in Henry.
“What changed? Pay-per-view points! Nah, what changed is me being myself. Going out there and being a showman. I believe that’s what the people want to see. I’m not afraid. I’m a very confident human being. It’s just me being myself. Yeah, I’m a little cheesy, I’m a little cringy. But at the same time, I get things done. I’ve done things in sports that nobody else has done. An Olympic champ. I’m the flyweight champion of the world and soon to be bantamweight champion.”
After dedicating his victory over TJ Dillashaw to the flyweight division (which has since continued to be gutted), this attempt to capture the bantamweight title may seem surprising. Cejudo explained his side of things.
“I’m a gold-digger. I love legacy. I love breaking records. I love proving people wrong. Even with this fight, I know I’m the underdog. I was the underdog my whole life and I have created fans and that’s special to me because when you’re the underdog and people don’t believe in you, you know what happens? You become a fan of them. That happened to me with [Fabricio] Werdum. I never thought that Werdum would beat Cain Velasquez. Never in 100 years. Because I know Cain. I know him very well and I’ve seen him train. I’ve seen Werdum fight. When I saw what he did to Cain Velasquez, that changed my whole perspective. It’s beautiful to prove people wrong. Whether you guys like it or not, you almost have to respect what I’ve done. So that’s all I’m doing. I’m trying to create more fans. Whether you hate me or love me, you’re going to watch me. I’m going to find a way to prove you wrong too.”
Including saying that the cut to flyweight is difficult, Cejudo had the following to say about possibly moving back to flyweight after Saturday.
“First things first, I’ve got a tough task in front of me. There are a lot of options. I’ve said it before, but it’s the Cejudo-weight division. I’m looking to change some things here. This is beyond the sport of mixed martial arts. I believe I’m changing things in sports, period. Do what I’ve done. Find the greatest combat athlete of all time. I believe that’s me. And fighting for this second belt, I believe I’m going to explain it even more.”
Check out the rest of Henry Cejudo’s media scrum in the video above, and tune in for his appearance in the main event of UFC 238 this weekend.
