'Show the student'… Henry Cejudo targets fight with UFC icon he used to train

01/20/2025 07:11 AM

Henry Cejudo is willing to put his personal relationship with a former student aside, in order to make a massive showdown for the fans.

The former two-weight world champion believes he still has what it takes to beat the man he once taught.

Henry Cejudo calls out Alexandre Pantoja for UFC flyweight title fight

Back in 2016, Henry Cejudo stepped up to the plate to coach on The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions.

His team featured a plethora of talented mixed martial artists, but none more so than Alexandre Pantoja.

Developing a close bond with his student, the Mexican-American went above and beyond to enhance his skills, guiding him all the way to the semi-finals.

Following the conclusion of the show, Cejudo went on to win two UFC championship belts, before retiring and eventually making his comeback.

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Now, the UFC flyweight division belongs to Pantoja, with the Brazilian willing to take on all comers. With that in mind, his old coach is hopeful that they can forget about their friendship for 25 minutes, and put on a magnificent fight for the MMA community.

In an interview with Cageside Press, ‘Triple C’ explained: “Sometimes, you’ve got to show the student what you taught them. It’s definitely a possibility. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while.

“I’m going to be 38 next month. So, if the time happens, it has to happen now. But I still feel good. I’m not one of those guys who’s been hit on the head [too many times] or gone through too many wars. Yeah, I’ve had wars, but I’ve been pretty solid not to go through that.

“We’ll see how this cut goes. I feel good about it. But 125lbs, though, it’s a b***h to do that. What I am going to need is a lot of time. Instead of my fight camps being short when it comes to 135lbs, they need to be a little longer for 125lbs, for me to gradually make it.

“And, the thing is, for one, I love Pantoja, I don’t think there’s a better person on planet Earth; I really admire the size of his heart.

“If Pantoja did not want to fight, and said, ‘I don’t want to fight you’, I probably wouldn’t, it’s to that extent.

“I know he’s always welcomed challenges; I know he’s said that it would be an honor to fight me, so, I think this would be the best way to do it.”

Henry Cejudo excited for 'fun' reunion with long-time rival as they share card at UFC Seattle

While Cejudo is excited for what the future holds, before he can start preparing for a match-up with Pantoja, he must first focus on the task at hand.

On February 22, the warrior will return to action against Song Yadong in an eagerly-anticipated match-up at UFC Seattle.

However, his opponent won’t be his only adversary on the card, with the Los Angeles-born competitor excited for a reunion with one of the biggest rivals of his career.

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