Henry Cejudo says he could leave UFC if promotion drops flyweight division

On January 26, in the main event of UFC 233, UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo is expected to defend his title against slimmed down bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw. This bout carries some massive implications, as the UFC is reportedly planning on shutting down its flyweight division in the near future.

While Henry Cejudo is currently focused on his UFC 233 fight with TJ Dillashaw, he believes that, win or lose, his time with the UFC could come to an end if the promotion drops the flyweight division thereafter.

Needless to say, he’s hoping to renegotiate his current contract if he defeats Dillashaw.

Cejudo explained the situation on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday.

Henry Cejudo tells @arielhelwani tells there's a chance his fight against TJ Dillashaw could be his last in the UFC if the promotion gets rid of the flyweight division.

Wants to revisit his contract if he wins on January 26. #HelwaniShow

— Greg Rosenstein (@grosenstein) November 12, 2018

When UFC President Dana White was pressed about the status of the UFC flyweight division over the weekend, he managed to avoid giving any actual answers, saying only that the promotion is “working on some things right now.”

If the UFC does disband its flyweight division, the reigning champion Henry Cejudo is almost certain to be among those flyweights to be given the chance to compete in the bantamweight division — though not everyone has been so lucky.

If he does leave the UFC, however, it seems as though he’s already got a pretty solid option in terms of a new home: ONE Championship.

Speaking in Singapore last week, ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong told BJPENN.COM’s Tom Taylor that he’d be interested in connecting with any top flyweights released from the UFC — particularly Cejudo. 

“I will just say that I love Henry Cejudo,” Sityodtong said. “If he becomes a free agent, Henry give me a call.”

“Many other flyweights in, I’m very interested, definitely,” he continued. “Already ONE Championship has the most stacked flyweight division in the world. I guarantee our roster is already better than the UFC’s flyweight division. But we definitely want to cherrypick and get some of the best UFC flyweights. That would be a dream come true.”

“If it’s really true that UFC is going to close down their flyweight division, then of course we will talk to all the top flyweights.”

Do you think Henry Cejudo will keep competing in the UFC if the promotion drops the flyweight division?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 11/12/2018.