Henry Cejudo: Joseph Benavidez knows there are bigger fights at bantamweight

Henry Cejudo is open to defending his flyweight title against Joseph Benavidez next. However, he admits the more intriguing fights are at bantamweight.

Cejudo is currently recovering from shoulder surgery following his bantamweight title win over Marlon Moraes earlier this summer. He expects to return next year in March.

When he is eligible to compete again, his next title defense seems to be at flyweight against Benavidez, at least according to UFC president Dana White. Benavidez has won three in a row and notably holds a win over Cejudo too.

It’s a fight “Triple C” wants as well. The only obstacle is the weight cut.

“Dana White’s not weighing 160 pounds,” Cejudo said laughing at a recent media scrum (via MMA Junkie). “I need to speak to him. I do have to be fair to Joe and the rest of the division. I don’t want to keep two divisions in lingo. Once I have that conversation with Dana, you guys will know.

“I have to fight [Benavidez]. On paper, he does have a win over me and rightfully so. But man, it’s also cutting 10 extra pounds. That’s the only thing that kind of kills me. Because I do want to fight Joe again. But those extra 10 pounds. You guys have known in the past when I have struggled. When I fought TJ, I was the last one on the scale. That was with science. That’s one thing we have to bring up with Dana.

“What are we thinking? I’m a champion in two divisions. 135, I’m having fun at it. You got guys like Jose Aldo coming down, Frankie Edgar, Urijah Faber just came back. Man, I think 135 is probably going to be the most exciting weight division once I get back and once these guys start fighting.”

It’s obvious that Cejudo is more interested in the potential matchups at bantamweight. After all, he called out the likes of Faber, Dominick Cruz, and Cody Garbrandt following his title win.

And he thinks everyone, including Benavidez, can acknowledge that.

“For sure, for sure. I think Joe knows that,” he added. “I think everybody in their own mind, they understand that. 135 is full of more color. I’m a little disappointed with the flyweights too. The fact that I brought the division back, I saved it and did all this noise — nobody is really talking smack, nobody is really trying to compete. So again, I did my part man. I’ll continue to do my part. It’s up to the flyweights to step it up and keep this division alive.

“Because I know the UFC is going to give me an option — which division do you want? Cut weight, get your revenge with Joseph Benavidez? Or go up and fight a bunch of legends that are waiting in line for me. I said it before, this is the Cejudo weight division. They can all get it.”