Henry Cejudo vs T.J Dillashaw (UFC Flyweight Championship)
Betting Odds: Cejudo +180 or 7/4, Dillashaw -200 or 10/21.
Brief History of the Flyweight Division
ESPN is kicking off its coverage of the UFC in style, the last scheduled fight in the Men’s Flyweight division is the most exciting match-up the 125lb weight class has ever seen, having only been introduced in 2012 the division has failed to take off unlike the 135lb & 145lb weight divisions which have produced consistent talents participating in classic fights.
The lack of interest stemmed from a dominant champion who was winning fights with ease removing the entertainment value, had Demetrious Johnson been a polarizing character like a Jon Jones or a Conor McGregor he may have had a different angle to engage viewers but he is largely a humble champion who refuses to engage in the sort of behaviour that receives widespread media coverage.
That personal choice was good for Johnson’s legacy not so much for the UFC’s pay-per-view numbers, ultimately his lengthy reign as champion more than likely caused the axe to be dropped on the 125lb weight class.
Demetrious Johnson vs Henry Cejudo 2
Johnson’s record of 11 title defences (most UFC title defences of all time) was cut short by the ever-evolving former Olympian Henry Cejudo. Cejudo had previously been defeated by Demetrious Johnson in April of 2016, it was clear during that fight Cejudo wasn’t quite ready for a fighter of Johnson’s calibre.
In the two years leading up to the rematch, Cejudo made huge improvements to his skill-set. His striking was more technically polished & that has allowed Cejudo to use his wrestling more effectively to control fights, in the end, the wrestling was the deciding factor in earning a split decision victory over Mighty Mouse.
Watch the full fight in HD for a limited time below.
https://youtu.be/6vPyVUm4Tfg
The UFC Men’s Flyweight division had only seen one champion in its short history, after defeating Demetrious Johnson, Henry Cejudo became the second. He is also the only ever UFC Champion to have won an Olympic Gold Medal in any sport, extremely impressive considering Cejudo has only had 15 professional MMA fights.
T.J Dillashaw vs Cody Garbrandt 2
T.J Dillashaw is also coming off the biggest win of his career, a now two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion who’s only losses in the UFC have both come via debatable split decision. Dillashaw is never in a boring fight, his aggressive style makes for an interesting watch, as was the case for Dillashaw vs Garbrandt 2.
Watch the full fight in HD for a limited time below.
https://youtu.be/6u5AQZiPqCQ
After ending the rivalry with Garbrandt in style stopping his arch-rival twice within a year, Dillashaw has chosen to answer the challenge of Henry “The Messenger” Cejudo who called T.J out following his victory at UFC 227.
Curtain Call
Champion vs Champion fights are becoming more common in modern MMA, this one has a little more prestige attached to it because whoever wins will be remembered as the final flyweight titleholder. T.J Dillashaw is the one switching weight classes so he has the opportunity to become a double champion, a feat only 3 fighters before him have managed to achieve.
It’s not all bad news for Henry, he has the advantage of fighting within his own weight class, adding T.J to his resume is a big incentive in itself. If Cejudo manages to win he would be an immediate contender for the 135lb title which will surely be Henry’s next move regardless of the result when the 125lb weight class closes.
This is an extremely high-level fight, it may not be getting the coverage it deserves but that is no indication of how good these two fighters are, Demetrious Johnson was considered for a time the best ever, Cejudo was the man to beat the man, T.J had been chasing a fight with Johnson with no luck, Demetrious wasn’t interested, now he gets to fight the man who dethroned him.
To come back and beat an all-time great two years after being destroyed in a round takes something special, an incredible amount of self-belief, courage, & competitive desire, Cejudo and Dillashaw hate to lose, the story of their careers is a testament to that. There’s some similarity in their path’s if you look at their records, took losses early in their career but used it to learn and improve, both dealt with adversity in Championship fights to still go on and win.
The Flyweight Division gets to close the show in style, the first event to be broadcast on ESPN, Champion vs Champion, & a contest finally worthy of the main event spot.
All video content belongs to UFC/Zuffa LLC.