Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo speaks with Megan Anderson ahead of his return at UFC 288 against current …
I’m here with a former UFC Banta weight and flyweight Champion Henry sahito the fourth person to ever be the championship in the UFC he takes on Al Jermaine Sterling at UFC 288 for the vanderweight belts out uh man it’s been almost three years to the day since you’ve stepped inside of occasion competing how are you feeling can we do this one um I’m feeling good I’m feeling good we’re about you know a week and a half out just about I’ve never these last three years that I haven’t competed um I feel like it’s been the best years of my life you know getting a chance to coach some of the best fighters in the world uh Jones Demetrius you know David or John Wayne Lee you know a lot of my expression kind of came a lot of my inspiration came back from actually like getting a chance to like coach them and teach them and uh you know I I yeah I’ve been gone for about three years but I really I’ve really been gone for two this last year that’s all I’ve been doing is just training and I just feel like this is the best version of myself and I mean that this isn’t just for hype you know my strength my knowledge uh my speed the timing there’s a lot of things that are just clicking for me and uh May 6 couldn’t come any sooner well let’s go back three years you’ll see 249 just happened you’ve just beaten Dominic Cruz you you’re the latest champ champ you’re then talking about retiring like why then talk talk me through that because I’ve accomplished everything there is to accomplish you know I defended both of my belts in the UFC I accomplished my life long dream of becoming Olympic gold medals as a little kid I wanted to enjoy life I wanted to find other avenues and ways to uh to make money to to make a living you know and to allow myself to allow that rekindle that love of competition to come back once again I I once I beat Domino like this just isn’t there either had to be a huge incentive for me to stay or take the time and that’s just a reality take my time until my heart and the desire literally comes back you know I’m 36 years old now I don’t regret anything that I’ve ever done as a matter of fact those last three years have been the best three years of my life got married had a kid and uh you know I love the challenge of being counted out I love the challenge to be of being kind of I think that’s that’s another part of the reason why I’m even making this to not to prove to nobody really but to prove to myself because I know what I’m capable of doing so this is just another uh this is just another Mountain that I gotta climb and I think it’s going to be a I I I like this mountain that I’m getting I’m getting ready to climb on May 6. well speaking of coming back obviously a lot involved with that was your family and going and spending time with them getting married having it you know having kids was that a big part of you coming back and and coaching being a big part of falling in love with the sport again uh no my family’s the last people and I tell this to people all the time it’s like I’m not doing this for my daughter I’m not doing this for my wife I’m not doing for I’m really not doing it for my family the incentive is the family financially but this this is clear this is clear to just make history and and to buy more freedom you know what I’m saying like it’s uh I I even see a lot of these Fighters it’s just as Benjamins like you know I see Alex Jones I see a damn Benjamin I say TJ delicious I see a Benjamin and I’m just I’m here to rob the bank and that’s just the reality that’s that’s how I feel and that’s what I’m gonna do on May 6 because the uh algebra is just not at my level and I love it as a matter of fact the UFC actually you know they they hired me as a hitman to take this dude out you know did the UFC want to really give me a title shot like no but you got but Henry stylistically you’re the best matchup and we want him out of here and I’m like all right let me put on my gloves and uh you know let me uh I I’m gonna go and get that job done well speaking of alge bra October your month mandated in usada was up at the start of October did you want that fight straight away or are you kind of happy having a little bit more time to you know prepare no I wanted that fight right off the back I wanted that fight because I just uh because yeah man there’s no time to waste for me you know like I’m once I get done with algebra and I plan on fighting I’m planning on fighting right right away as soon as possible you know I’m on a mission you know like when I was Champion Prada getting hurt like my last three fights it was Demetrius Johnson TJ Dillashaw and Marla Marais all in 10 months you know I was I was an active fighter but then I got injured with that with uh after my mother Mariah’s fight that took me out for a whole year but then once I was once you know once the surgeon and what’s like uh my physical therapist that I was ready to go like within a few months I was training again and then and then fought so I’m planning on being an active champion and uh and it just doesn’t stop there you know I want you know my overall goal is Alexander volkanovski obviously I cannot Overlook algeman Sterling but my overall goal is to go up to 145 pounds and uh you know with all due to respect me again is to take him down under and and become the and become the C4 you know the the the first three Division champion history I absolutely love that I’m sure that fight would be insane but algebrae kind of a wrestler like yourself obviously different ways your Olympic NCAA can be on paper considered a wrestler versus wrestler mashup obviously you’ve both got different skills to add as well let’s put analyst Henry hat on for a second what were your initial thoughts on the mashup stylistically oh it’s a great matchup for me to it’s a beautiful matchup for me his his takedowns don’t intimidate me his his entries don’t intimidate me his striking doesn’t intimidate me I can I think if there’s anything that algerman does he just takes chances you know he’s a risk taker he’ll throw a crazy knee he’ll go for a takedown from a mile away like he’ll do certain things like that but when you get somebody with the solid base that understands the game to a whole like I I see myself picking this guy apart so as an analyst I think this is uh I think it’s a great matchup for me you know I’m going to be able to defend his takedowns I’m gonna be able to keep it on my feet or take them down you know I can’t I can’t give you guys everything because there is uh there is a game plan and I do take game planning extremely serious you know to the point where everybody that I’m that I’m fighting with is at his height everybody that he’s partnered with is a whole lot taller than me you see what I’m saying so little little things like that that I see I’m just like yeah he’s he’s planning for the wrong dude you know and I just think my IQ is just it’s just Superior to his well when you look at him it’s more about volume and speed and movement and his ability to scramble and take the back do you feel like you have a power and speed advantage in this one to be able to shut him down oh and every in every sense of the way power speed uh experience uh Grit technique I just saw that even just even the looks dude I’m just better I’m just better in every area than this guy I mean this guy is and he knows man algebra knows this isn’t like this is like I’m the guy out of everybody in the whole roster whether he wants to say he’s going to put me on in two rounds or or I don’t deserve it I don’t deserve it I mean I I I I I’m letting you babysit my belt he knows that I’m just the toughest matchup stylistically and uh you know I know he’s thinking about me I know I know he knows what I’m capable of doing and because I know that I I know that I’m gonna get the job done and this fight doesn’t go past three rounds or one term that generally likes to be thrown around when an athlete takes a pretty lengthy layoff and they come back is cage rust or ring rust you know training the timing and training and timing in a real fight can be very different is that something that you have taken into consideration ahead of this one yeah no 100 100 I’ve been in these positions before because even in wrestling I retired for three years and uh it’s crazy how they parallel and I came back and I be the number one the number two guy in the world you know uh I’m just a competitor at heart I do a lot of simulations here at the here when I’m training where I come out to walk on music where I really simulate the fight well there’s an actual referee where we got to get everybody out of there within one minute of the break so the fight simulation at the end of the day Megan it really doesn’t matter because if I sign that contract I’m going to show up I’m gonna have to show up so the ring rust all that to me like no that’s just I’m gonna go with it I’m just gonna win whether whatever the hell it is that I’m feeling and I’m in really good shape right now this is this is the best that I’ve ever felt man I promise you in my whole career of actually fighting this is the best and smartest I have ever felt and injury-free uh mentally strong the great game plan if we have to make adjustments we’ll take them but this is this is this is the best version you guys will see myself and I’m I’m bringing you tricks into this game do you feel like actively competing has helped with being able to feel the best that you’ve ever felt yeah of course of course the simple fact that I need a I need to re-amp that love you know what I’m saying I need it yeah a lot of a lot of reasons why Fighters mess up and I see this a lot and I spoke to Jonah bosk I can’t explain it to him I’m like John you you stepped away because it gets boring like what else is gonna push you man like what else is it that you want that’s really gonna satisfy you if you fight just out of fight because you’re good but you’re not in love you’re not going to do yourself a favor then you’re going to have to split decisions like he was but if you give yourself time rekindle that love understand more of the whys let everybody else celebrate for a middle for you know for a little bit be the be the person outside looking in oh okay and then make your and then and then diagnose whether okay I could beat that dude and then once I start to feel that then I know it’s game time you know what I’m saying so once I saw aljamin do that and to do that to this guy and then like to me like Academy Award when he beat uh when he beat you on the first time I think we all know that you know he beat he beat a TJ Dilla shot with freaking one arm it took him two rounds it took me 32 seconds you know he was given he was given that fight with Peter on the second fight via judge’s skill like I’m just I’m not impressed with this dude I’m not impressed with this dude but it has nothing to do with Ultraman I just believe in my skills that much that’s more for you I just I just believe it I just believe in my skills that much you know I’m I’m fundamentally uh I’m fundamentally sound and I think that’s where I that’s where I put out my emphasis you know those small details that everybody tends to overlook something as easy as your position right I mean and that is why you have accomplished everything you kind of have already and and we’re about to see more hopefully coming next week but one thing that you did kind of take up in your time away from this what was coaching obviously coaching the likes of Zhang Wei Lee um Davidson figuerado you’ve done some work like you mentioned Jon Jones was that something that you’ve always been passionate about no not really man I’ve always been a selfish prick like a selfish brat it’s always been about me but I think stepping away because I’m like people don’t understand the level of competitor that I am like I won’t help if when I’m in the game I don’t help people I don’t I love the honesty like like I really don’t like it’s uh like yeah I’ll give my training Partners round or whatnot but I’m not that guy at the gym coaching and helping but taking these last three years off once I accomplished everything I was like hey I’m just giving back to every single soul that was in there you have a question I’m here to answer you want to come over you want to train I’m not here to steal any of you guys I think that’s why people like me I’m just I’m just here to teach my and share my knowledge with you guys and take it how it is and guess what Megan they continue to keep coming back you know because because of that but now that I’m fighting again like I become that once again I become that competitor where it’s all about me and uh I enjoyed it about it it was something completely new that I wasn’t accustomed to because you know I’ve always shared advice and things like that I’ve always enjoyed that like you know when I when I wasn’t training but now that uh now that I’m back to it it’s uh you know I I become that competitor again that’s just like damn don’t cross them you know it’s better than Kobe with us if you study Jordan and Kobe Kobe Jordan Kobe were the same way not necessarily had a lot of uh they’re just all about winning so it’s been good man they’ve inspired me I’ve had a chance to give back uh but I also feel like the gift that I know even recognizing from them how much I can still give and how is it that I want to win and want in a fashion that’s going to really satisfy me like competing no I’m not a coach I’m not a coach I’m a I’m a counselor I’m a teacher you know like I’m I’m not gonna go with you I’m not gonna go to your fight on Saturday unless you’re a really close friend of mine or unless you’re like Jon Jones right but I just can’t man I love my family I I notice a lot of you even like even you being in journalism like uh you guys are gone a lot you know Daniel Cormier he’s gone a lot like I can’t sacrifice that stuff for nobody you know I was a kid who was raised by a single mother and uh my biggest fear is not being there for my family particularly my daughter so so no no I’m a counselor I’m a teacher you can you can you can come and learn from me and then you can go back wherever it is that you’re uh you’re training at but I’m here to share knowledge well one thing you’ve also kind of had a lot of success with as well is your YouTube channel you post all the five breakdowns your analyst type work behind the scenes content what prompted you to start you know posting a lot of that stuff yeah I think I think I had to bury the cringe I was trying to go the cringe route and uh I don’t think it was working I think I was annoying people more than anything and I’m just like well I mean I still have a little bit of that but you know I I’m I’m really I’m just a brain you know from my experiences and I say that humbly you know my experience has taught me a lot I’ve been able to I’ve been coached by some of the best in the world and I just feel like I I have a lot of knowledge and why not share it to the world you know and uh you know people my my Instagram my YouTube like everything’s been growing because of because of that and that’s really what I enjoy doing like I’ve um I’m a teacher at heart you know I’m not a coach like like even teaching this like if I do too much of teaching then I’m not I don’t think I’d like it but it’s done just enough where I’m able to have a life and and yet you know what I mean and still give back without getting full of myself either you know what I’m saying it’s not balanced yeah there’s there’s that balance now and success there really isn’t a balance you know you’re here and here but now that um that I’m back it goes back to that but now that once I’m out of the sport again and that balance comes again you know and I probably enjoy that I enjoy that more than more than winning championships it’s it’s just it’s it’s a simple thing called freedom and uh and I love it well one last question before I let you let you have not been shy about talking about going up and fighting Alex volkanovsky after you fight algemite still in UFC 288 for the featherweight belt this time the C4 it will be the first person to ever hold three different weight loss belts in the UFC I know you’re big on call outs and promos if you had to cut a promo so Al Jermaine Sterling and Alex volkanovski right now what would it be Al Lane Sterling stay tuned man your time is running out May 6th is right around the corner go ahead and get your little thong ready your nice little dress ready because I’m taking you out first and then I’m going after Ronald McDonald that’s right Shawn O’Malley he’s next that dirty Q-tip and after that the real gold once I get done with you two tune-ups I’m going I’m going after Alexander the average you know I want him I do respect what he’s doing I do respect what he’s done but I also do believe that he’s in front of he’s stopping me from making history to put myself in a category in a position where nobody has ever done I am the Triple C I’m looking to become C4 so I I know you respect me uh Alexander volkanoski but when that time comes man you will see you will see a different version of myself and I am shorter than you but I am faster I’m I’m knowledgeable I have the tools to take you out so could you keep winning continue to keep babysitting that belt because that belt will be mine sucker I love it I love it well Henry good luck at UFC 288 thank you as always for your time thank you guys thank you for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming Sports and premium content subscribe to ESPN Plus