Henry Cejudo is currently scheduled to fight Marlon Moraes for the vacant UFC bantamweight championship as the headliner of UFC 238, but one thing that is fresh on Cejudo’s and many MMA fans’ minds is Cejudo’s last performance, where he defeated T.J. Dillashaw by first-round TKO. That victory put Henry Cejudo in line to challenge Dillashaw for what was then Dillashaw’s bantamweight championship, but after Dillashaw was flagged for a potential doping violation by USADA, Cejudo was booked to face Moraes instead. And in Cejudo’s mind, Moraes poses a more dangerous threat than Dillashaw would have:
“Marlon Moraes is a lot more dangerous than T.J,” Cejudo said in a recent edition of The Ariel Helwani MMA Show. “His biggest threat is his power. I mean, look at him. He’s knocked out three opponents in the first round. He’s got vicious power. And in MMA, that’s scary. That’s scary because it just takes one hit, one blow, and that’s it. But so do I. And I’m showing it. I’m getting better. And I’m stronger, and I’m faster. But in reality, Marlon Moraes is the number-one contender.
“And it’s probably only because (Dillashaw and Moraes) haven’t fought,” Cejudo continued, regarding why Marlon Moraes isn’t the champion right now. “But in my eyes, Marlon’s the top guy, other than me.”
This opinion will surely become more popular in light of T.J. Dillashaw’s flagged violation being confirmed as EPO usage, and it will make the new world champion at 135 take over as the division’s top dog asterisk-free.
Marlon Moraes is currently riding a four-fight win streak over names like Aljamain Sterling, Jimmie Rivera, and Raphael Assuncao, and Henry Cejudo just defeated arguably the two best 125 and 135ers of all time in Demetrious Johnson and T.J. Dillashaw. UFC 238 will serve as a collision between the two hottest fighters between the 125-135 divisions, with only one man emerging as the new top dog at bantamweight after the dust settles.
Do you agree with Henry Cejudo’s remark that the only reason Marlon Moraes is not already bantamweight champion is because he didn’t face T.J. Dillashaw?
