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While the entire world has been mesmerized with the soap opera that is the UFC’s continuing plan to stage UFC 249 in a couple weeks at a location to be revealed, the truth of the matter is that Dana White and company don’t plan on stopping after Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje throwdown on April 18.
In fact, the UFC’s last “champ champ” Henry Cejudo is scheduled to headline UFC 250 next month, and it appears that the former Olympic gold medalist is on his way to facing former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.
Per Combate, former featherweight champion Jose Aldo is no longer challenging Cejudo for the bantamweight belt at UFC 250. Instead, Cejudo and Cruz have a “verbal agreement” in place to face each other on May 9.
BREAKING: Jose Aldo is out of UFC 250. Dominick Cruz steps in to fight Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title. Verbal agreement. By @raphamarinho and @anahissa.
UFC 250 was originally scheduled to take place in Sau Paulo, Brazil.
However, it now seems that the COVID-19 outbreak will force the company to move the upcoming event to a new location.
Wherever UFC 250 lands, though, it looks like Cejudo vs. Cruz is the new main event for that card.
Cejudo and Cruz Trade Barbs on Twitter
Both fighters traded barbs over social media recently.
Dear @HenryCejudo,
The real king has already been told that we’re fighting May 9th. I’ll see you there.
P.S. -Bring your other tiny lil friend @cptdasamericas so I can slap you both around. 👋 👋
-Signed, Sealed, Delivered-
“Dear Henry Cejudo, The real king has already been told that we’re fighting May 9th. I’ll see you there. P.S. -Bring your other tiny lil friend @cptdasamericas so I can slap you both around. -Signed, Sealed, Delivered-” Cruz posted.
Cejudo fired back at the former champ.
“Keep begging me!” Cejudo posted.
Cruz Coming off Long Layoff
Cruz, 34, hasn’t competed in the UFC since losing his belt to Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207. That happened way back in December 2016, so it’s somewhat shocking that “The Dominator” would be able to nab the immediate title shot against Cejudo upon his return over three years later.
Still, desperate times call for desperate measures. Perhaps Cruz (22-2) was simply the best or at least the most well-known bantamweight fighter willing to accept the opportunity to face Cejudo (15-2) at UFC 250 without needing more details about where the event might actually be staged.
The coronavirus pandemic has caused the UFC all sorts of problems in terms of finding locations for their events. The last thing the company probably needs right now is to worry about not having main event fighters willing to sign the dotted line for their upcoming pay-per-view events.
Cruz was originally supposed to return at UFC 233 last year but was forced out of the event due to injury. Cejudo, 34, defeated Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 via second-round stoppage in his last fight.
He recently vacated the UFC flyweight championship but remains the company’s bantamweight king.
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Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson