Getty
A retired UFC champion is demanding a title shot against one of the UFC’s current divisional champs. Former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo demanded via social media on Thursday the chance to be the first UFC fighter to capture championships in three different divisions. The 33-year-old American posted that he wanted next crack at UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.
“You overgrown midget! Sign the contract and I’ll make the featherweight division great again just like I did for the flyweights and bantamweight!” Cejudo said.
Will Online Feud Lead to One Inside Octagon?
It’s just the latest in the ongoing war of words between Cejudo and Volkanoski.
Cejudo, one of the UFC’s four “champ champ” fighters ever posted earlier this week, “This is the only fight that matters to my legacy and would cement me as the goat of my sport! Who wants to see me make @alexvolkanovski bend the knee!? Triple C.”
This is the only fight that matters to my legacy and would cement me as the goat of my sport! Who wants to see me make @alexvolkanovski bend the knee!? Triple C 🖊
But Volkanovski reminded Cejudo of the stunning move the American made after beating Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in May.
“Get back down your rabbit hole, you’re retired,” Volkanovski said.
That is what happened. Cejudo stopped Cruz in the second round at UFC 249 in May before abruptly retiring during his post-fight interview.
Does Alex Volkanovski Want the Fight?
Meanwhile, Volkanovski’s first title defense was a split-decision win over Max Holloway at UFC 251 on July 11. That fight was an immediate rematch of the contest that originally netted Volkanoski UFC gold back at UFC 245 in December 2019.
Still, other than going back and forth with Cejudo via social media, Vokanovski hasn’t seemed all that interested in making the fight happen.
That would make some sense. Volkanovki just won his title belt and would seem to have plenty of 145-pound contenders to face first.
Indeed, he told the media after his win at UFC 251 that he wasn’t even sure the superfight would be worth the risk to him at this point in his career.
“Me fighting him ain’t helping my legacy,” Volkanovski said.
Cejudo responded to that perspective with a challenge, and he did so via Twitter, which seems to be his preferred method of negotiating.
“Prove me wrong! I’ll bet my whole purse that you wouldn’t beat me,” Cejudo said.
The two men kept at it to the point that all of the chatter seems now to have spilled into the following week.
So maybe the fight is on its way to happening?
Retired Champ Asked UFC President for Fight
Cejudo went so far as to directly ask UFC president Dana White to make the bout via social media.
“Allow me to make history @danawhite I promise I will make the featherweight division great,” Cedjuo said.
Cejudo might just have retired, but it sure seems like he has at least one more massive fight on his mind.
READ NEXT: FIghter’s Broken Skull After ‘All-time Flagrant’ Foul [LOOK]
Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson
YouTube: Real Talk with Kelsey and Rachel