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A little more than a minute after his attempt to win a second UFC title, things were already going in the wrong direction for Henry Cejudo. Marlon Moraes' legs cut his legs regularly. He found himself continually trapped in the no-man-land between them, too far to touch anything and too close to avoid Moraes' shots. When he advanced in a dazzling race, Moraes' hands were fast and precise, apparently doubling Cejudo's production in the same amount of time while finding their mark. This was a training target and each avenue, it seemed, led to danger.
"It was a survival stage for me," he says later.
With limited options, Cejudo bet on an exchange of shots. The fortune plan was risky; it would no longer be technical or proficient; it would be performance and heart, as it has allowed Cejudo to be a top athlete for over ten years.
We should have known that it would work.
With that, a seemingly hopeless situation was changed quickly. Under the sudden and sustained storm of Cejudo, Moraes slowly began to fade. The punches landed, then kicks, then knees to the head. Moraes' quick hands became heavy and inefficient, his pace slowed, he swallowed in the air. Meanwhile, Cejudo moved forward relentlessly, until a final barrage of fists and elbows on the ground made Moraes defenseless. It was a worthy return to gold, Cejudo grabbing his second UFC belt, adding the bantamweight strap to his trophy collection.
Overcoming adversity was an essential part of his life, as was his CV at the championship. Son of undocumented immigrants from Mexico, Cejudo has beaten all the obstacles to become an elite wrestler. He did not expect to be part of the US Olympic team in 2008, but he did. He was beaten in three of his Olympic tournament matches and had to lose in the final, but re-entered to win the gold medal. He was an outsider against Demetrious Johnson last August, but beat him for the win. He was an outsider against T. J. Dillashaw in January and knocked him out in the blink of an eye. He was still underdog last night at UFC 238 against Moraes – and beat him four days after spraining his ankle – and also stopped him.
This man is both a survivor and a winner. They are both identical when it comes to his athlete identity.
More recent on the list of descriptors is his new claim, which mocks the derision of some corners but a scratch of the chin of others. After winning his last victory, Cejudo has been proclaimed "the greatest fighting athlete of all time".
Frankly, he has a case. Who else can boast of having reached the absolute highs of two different fighting sports and multiple weight classes? At different times in his life, Cejudo was able to clearly state that he was the best 55 kg freestyle wrestler in the world, the world's best mixed flyweight martial artist and the world's best mixed martial artist in the world. It's a singular and magnificent feat.
Surprisingly, UFC President Dana White was the one who threw cold water on the ideal. How about Jon Jones, he asked. Or Amanda Nunes? Or Khabib Nurmagomedov?
All the big fighters, yes, but the use of "combat athlete" by Cejudo is global, and none of these three can touch his resume. They may be more accomplished as MMA fighters – and other incredible fighters like Muhammad Ali won an Olympic gold medal and a champion belt in the same sport – but none did what he did in a second sport. If we consider all the works in several disciplines, the achievements of Cejudo are remarkable, even incomparable.
Although all of this was questionable, no one had seen him coming just two years ago, while Cejudo was trying to get rid of a two-game mini-skid and find himself as a fighter. The fact that it is even a discussion shows its dynamism and success.
The good thing is that Cejudo will probably not waste time strengthening his good faith. He plans to defend both belts. He is ready to face Dominick Cruz, the long-time star of midweight weight, or even to go featherweight. Can you imagine Cejudo facing Max Holloway? Can you imagine Cejudo beating him? If you say no to one or the other, it is only because you have chosen to ignore everything he has done so far. After that Saturday night, Cejudo proved again that he needed only a few chances to beat long chances.
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