It has been less than two weeks since UFC 227, where Demetrious Johnson lost his flyweight championship to Henry Cejudo, and T.J. Dillashaw retained his bantamweight title against Cody Garbrandt, and now, the winners of the main event and co-main event of the pay per view can’t seem to stop talking about fighting one another. It all began with Cejudo challenging Dillashaw immediately after capturing the flyweight championship. Cejudo voiced his preference of coming up to 135 to fight Dillashaw, but was also open to defending his newly-won 125 title against Dillashaw as well, which so happened to be the option Dillashaw prefers.
This week, Dillashaw and Cejudo have already taken their show on the road, appearing on NBC’s Extra as well as in TMZ’s newsroom. It certainly didn’t take long for the two to get to work promoting what seems to be the most likely fight that will be made if the two champions have anything to say about it; but what does the man who dominated the flyweight division for a record-breaking 11 reigns have to say about it?
“I think it’s good for them,” Johnson said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “If that’s what they want to do, let them do it, you know? I think I read somewhere T.J. said when he was weight-cutting he hit 133, so if he wants to do it, have him do it. I don’t think there’s nothing wrong with it at all. Let them do what they wanna do, dawg. That’s them.”
It should be noted that Johnson’s graciousness is not completely out of selfishness but out of accepting the reality that he will be sidelined as he recuperates from the injuries suffered in his bout with Cejudo at the UFC 227 pay per view. Johnson was asked if he is concerned that if when he does eventually make his return, he is not treated fairly. Johnson responded with ease:
“I’m not worried about because I know I’m gonna be successful wherever I’m at…whether it’s me not getting a fair shake…at the end of the day, that’s something my management is gonna have to deal with because I don’t talk to the UFC brass because I can’t hold back my emotions, and I keep it real,” Johnson said.
If Henry Cejudo and T.J. Dillashaw do face one another, should it be at 125 or 135?
