Cejudo considering move back to flyweight
Former UFC two-division champion Henry Cejudo is contemplating making a return to the flyweight division.
"There could be a potential return at flyweight," Cejudo told MMA Junkie's Nolan King. "These are a lot of things I'm contemplating, potentially going back down. With the bantamweight division getting hot and with the newcomers coming in, there's been a lot of thought of me going back down and getting a fight with (Brandon) Moreno and winning the belt once again. There's a lot of cool stuff."
The 37-year-old hasn't stepped into the Octagon since a unanimous decision loss to bantamweight Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298 in February. Following a three-year hiatus from the UFC, Cejudo lost his return fight to then-bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 in May 2023.
Cejudo became the first Olympic gold medallist to win a UFC division title when he defeated Demetrious Johnson by split decision at UFC 227 to claim the flyweight belt.
The bantamweight division is loaded with plenty of heavy hitters and worthy title contenders. Champion Sean O'Malley is set to defend his title against Dvalishvili at UFC 306 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.
Cejudo said there are plenty of appealing options at flyweight if he chooses to drop back down in weight class.
"I'm after gold now," Cejudo said. "I think if I do go down to 125 pounds and stay disciplined, I don't think there's anyone that can beat me. Plus, I think there's a fun fight with Brandon Moreno. He wanted to fight me at 135, and then he backed out like a little bitch. Now, I think if I go down, and I beat him in Mexico, in his own country, I think that could be a big-ass payday, too."
Cejudo said he wants to have a purpose to continue his career instead of "fighting people just to fight people." The former champion highlighted the challenge of making the 125-pound weight cut as motivation to sharpen his discipline going forward. The Arizona native envisions a six-month process to prepare if he returns to the flyweight division.
Cejudo also revealed that he's been rehabbing from an unspecified injury.
"I've been icing an injury now for quite some time. I want to make sure that I'm 100%. I'm getting back into training," Cejudo said.