Getty Conor McGregor during the Floyd Mayweather Jr. v Conor McGregor World Press Tour event at Barclays Center on July 13, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
Irish fighting superstar Conor McGregor was hit by a wild challenge from his fellow former two-division UFC champion, Henry Cejudo.
The challenge involves McGregor and Cejudo fighting at 155 pounds, two weight classes above bantamweight, the heaviest division “Triple C” has fought in. But as per Cejudo, there is a condition where “Notorious” must remain sober.
“Hey @TheNotoriousMMA let’s make a deal,” Cejudo tweeted on March 29. “I’ll fight you at 155 pounds on one condition– You have to stay sober. If you can do that, I’ll agree to measure at 5’4″ or under and start the fight on my back. Also Keith Peterson can’t ref. Fair?”
Keith Peterson refereed Cejudo’s final 135-pound title defense when he defeated Dominick Cruz by second-round TKO at UFC 249. Cruz was very critical of Peterson’s stoppage, believing it was way too early.
Cejudo also shared a clip of himself during his “The Triple C & Schmo Show” podcast talking about the challenge. See below:
Hey @TheNotoriousMMA let’s make a deal. I’ll fight you at 155 pounds on one condition– You have to stay sober. 🍻
If you can do that, I’ll agree to measure at 5’4″ or under and start the fight on my back. Also Keith Peterson can’t ref. Fair?
👑👓: t.co/kswHFkeEQS
Cejudo & McGregor Recently Had a Twitter Spat Following Notorious’ Arrest
Cejudo and McGregor have occasionally gone back and forth on Twitter, with their most recent spat coming earlier this month when Triple C ripped McGregor for his arrest. According to a report from the Irish Independent, McGregor was accused and charged with dangerous driving in Dublin, Ireland, on March 23.
“@TheNotoriousMMA I know you are scared to fight me but slow down buddy,” Cejudo tweeted via ESPN. “I need you to get injured during the fight… not before.”
Cejudo’s tweet prompted a response from McGregor, who wrote: “Mate, I don’t give two f**** about you. You are a nobody. Who the f*** even are you? You are a little skid mark to me, stop messaging me, thanks.”
Not to be outdone, Triple C responded: “The only skid mark you should be worried about is the one you caused by driving like an arse. I’m a 2X Champ and an Olympian. I’ve had gold around my neck. You’ve had silver locked around your wrists. @TheNotoriousMMA.”
“Platinum too,” McGregor simply responded.
Cejudo Has Been Campaigning for a 145-Pound Title Shot
Triple C wants to become the first fighter in UFC history to earn three divisional titles. He’s already captured the bantamweight and flyweight belts, and he has his eyes set on Alexander Volkanovski’s 145-pound championship.
However, UFC president Dana White isn’t keen on giving him a shot considering Cejudo retired nearly two years ago as the reigning 135-pound champion. When the promotion was looking for a replacement for Max Holloway to fight Volkanovski, they landed on Chan Sung Jung instead, and “The Korean Zombie” will meet the Kiwi at UFC 273 on April 9.
In January, White explained his reasoning for not giving the fight to Cejudo.
“I can tell you this: The ‘Korean Zombie’ (Chan Sung Jung) has been here fighting,” White told BT Sport. “This guy’s retired. He’s been off for how many years now, and he wants to come in and fight Alexander Volkanovski? You’ve got guys like the Zombie, Josh Emmett, Giga (Chikadze) who’s fighting this weekend. You’ve got these guys that are in here doing it three times a year and working their way up. For Cejudo to retire and then just think he should be able to come in and jump into any weight division and take on the champion, it’s not how it works.”