UFC legend Henry Cejudo is hoping that we see a matchup between UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje and Mauricio Ruffy.
Ruffy battles Arman Tsarukyan in the co-main event of UFC 331 on Saturday, with a potential lightweight title shot on the line for the winner.
However, while the betting odds indicate that Tsarukyan should win this fight, you can’t discount a Ruffy upset win since he has a puncher’s chance, and Cejudo is hoping that he does win the fight so we can see him against Gaethje.
Henry Cejudo Wants Mauricio Ruffy vs. Justin Gaethje
Speaking on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast, Cejudo said that he thinks Ruffy will skip back the rest of the lightweights and earn a title shot against Gaethje if he can defeat Tsarukyan impressively.
“He skips everybody. This is the feeling that I’m getting. I would hope, competitively, Arman Tsarukyan deserves it with a win. He does, he really does, but I also get the fact that what the UFC’s doing: back problems, he pulled out a day before, it was a big event, and then all of a sudden you’ve got (expletive) (Renato) Moicano fighting for a world title, which, with all due respect, (Moicano’s) got no business in that realm,” Cejudo said (via MMAFighting.com).
“I don’t know what the UFC’s thinking with Arman. I know it almost seems like Dana is not as fond as him as much as we would like for him to be and that’s just the God’s honest truth. You can hear it in interviews. But Mauricio Ruffy, I do believe that if he’s able to beat a guy like Arman Tsarukyan, I do believe that he’s next. And who wouldn’t want to see Mauricio Ruffy vs. Justin Gaethje?”
Dana White Makes the Ultimate Choice
Even though Tsarukyan and/or Ruffy would be the most deserving to fight Gaethje next with a big win at UFC 331, ultimately, it’s up to UFC president Dana White to decide who gets thte title shot.
“I’ve told this to Arman and a little bit of what you’ve been hearing of Dana White say a couple things, at the end of the day Hunter can say something, but Dana White is the decision maker here. Hunter can promise you something, but Dana White can revoke it or make it happen. And a little bit of what Dana said if Arman wins, I don’t think he’s too convinced. I don’t know if that’s going to be the case for Arman of victory over Mauricio Rufy,” Cejudo said.
“I will say this, Mauricio Ruffy, yeah, even though he did get submitted by Benoit Saint Denis, he’s made the transition of moving out to Australia, working out with (UFC featherweight champion Alexander) Volkanovski, which is one thing that Volkanovski did very, very well is getting back to his feet. We saw with Islam Makhachev. If Mauricio Ruffy is able to keep it on his feet, I give the edge to Mauricio Ruffy. But Arman Tsarukyan, he’s willing to let go all the money in the world to become the best in the world and I just think it’s hard to bet against a wrestler, especially when you’re just making a living off of that.”
UFC Legend Hoping for Mauricio Ruffy vs. Justin Gaethje