Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo entered a tense face-to-face with surging bantamweight Mario Bautista at a recent LFA event.
Since ending his retirement last year, Henry Cejudo is plotting his UFC comeback after two losses to top-tier opponents. He most recently lost to current bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili by unanimous decision at UFC 298.
While Cejudo is arguably years past his physical prime, his feisty persona and marketability remain enticing for potential UFC opponents. The ‘King of Cringe’ wants to return to the Octagon for at least one more try at a possible run to title contention.
In the meantime, Cejudo has a potential suitor in Mario Bautista, after the two sides traded barbs at LFA 196 in Phoenix. Cejudo and Bautista, who train at rival Arizona gyms, turned a cordial interaction into a nearly chaotic altercation.
Henry Cejudo and Mario Bautista’s bad blood boils in recent face-to-face
Bautista and Cejudo have some history after the former called out Cejudo following his most recent victory. While arguably an uneventful performance against Jose Aldo, Bautista called for Cejudo after a split decision win at UFC 307.
After Bautista shook hands with Cejudo backstage at LFA 196, Bautista implored Cejudo to sign the dotted line if a fight offer is passed. Cejudo then mocked Bautista’s UFC 307 performance, and things quickly escalated between the two sides.
Henry Cejudo looks to snap two-fight UFC skid in planned comeback fight
Cejudo is searching for his first UFC victory since a successful bantamweight title defense against Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. Upon finishing Cruz in the second round, Cejudo shocked the world when he abruptly announced his MMA retirement, despite coming off of some of the best performances of his career.
Before a loss to Dvalishvili, Cejudo lost to then-champion Aljamain Sterling in his UFC 288 comeback fight. Despite a back-and-forth battle between the two elite grapplers, Sterling earned the nod on two of the judges’ scorecards, ultimately winning by split decision.
A win against a young, hungry contender in Bautista could propel Cejudo back into the bantamweight title conversation. Potential matchups with Sean O’Malley, Marlon Vera, and others are firmly on the table for Cejudo.
Bautista presents many challenges in a possible clash with Cejudo. The 31-year-old is on a seven-fight winning streak, including recent wins over UFC Hall of Famer José Aldo and Ricky Simón.
In the meantime, Cejudo continues to plot his MMA return, and a potential booking against Bautista might be the challenge the former two-division champ needs to regain motivation.
