Bibiano Fernandes has message for Henry Cejudo
Bibiano Fernandes has a bone to pick with two-division UFC champion, Henry Cejudo.
It stems from a message Cejudo shared after his bantamweight title victory against Marlon Moraes at UFC 238.
“My name is Triple C,” Cejudo said to UFC commentator Joe Rogan during the post-fight interview on June 8. “Olympic champion, flyweight champion of the world and now bantamweight champion of the world. I am the greatest combat athlete of all time and I just stole the title from the best pound-for-pound fighter too.”
The track record
Fernandes can make an argument why he believes he’s the best in the world. The 39-year-old defended his ONE Fighting Championship bantamweight strap six times for the Singapore-based promotion.
He most recently won and defended the ONE FC featherweight title with back-to-back wins against Kevin Bellingon. The two-consecutive victories came after a split decision loss to Bellingon at ONE FC: Heart of a Lion on Nov. 9, 2018.
Fernandes won the Dream featherweight title in 2009 and held it for 451 days. He became a double champ by winning the Dream Bantamweight Championship in 2011.
He held the ONE Interim Bantamweight Championship from May 31, 2013 to May 2, 2014, where he earned his current strap with a unanimous decision win against Masakatsu Ueda at ONE FC 15: Rise of Heroes.
“Henry Cejudo says he’s the best in the world, you know what? I’m the best in the world for many years,” Fernandes told Jeremy Brand of MMASucka.com. “I am too humble to come out and say I’m the best, but the best indication is how many times I’ve defended my belt. I’m a multiple-time champion, five-time world champion in jiu-jitsu, three times as a black belt.”
Stacking up
Fernandes has fought for ONE FC since Aug. 31, 2012, only competing outside of the promotion once, on Dec. 31 of that same year. He defeated Yoshiro Maeda with a first-round triangle choke at Dream 18.
The former Dream two-division champ was slated to fight Roland Delorme at UFC 149 in Calgary, Alberta on July 21, 2012. The Brazilian announced on his Facebook page that his bout was scrapped, stating both parties were unable to come to terms.
Cejudo earned a unanimous decision victory against Dustin Kimura in his UFC debut at UFC on FOX 13, Dec. 13, 2014. He rattled off three more victories before losing his first UFC title fight to Demetrious Johnson at UFC 197 on April, 23, 2014.
Cejudo bounced back with two-consecutive wins, eventually claiming the UFC Flyweight Championship with a split-decision win over Johnson at UFC 227 on Aug. 3, 2018. He defended the belt by knocking out former champion, T.J. Dillashaw in the first round of their UFC on ESPN+ 1 bout, Jan. 19.
Both Bibiano Fernandes and Henry Cejudo proved they’re the best-of-the best in their respective promotions.
“The day of the fight is the big day for me. My mind is there, my skill is there and it will always show inside the cage.”
Maybe someday
Neither fighter is currently scheduled for an upcoming bout. With both fighters sharing a different home, a potential matchup is unlikely, for now. If the two champions’ paths are to meet one day, Fernandes is all for it.
“I’d fight anyone in my weight class. If one day he wants to come to ONE Championship, then yeah,” Fernandes said. “I don’t believe I will go to UFC, but if somehow we get to fight, for sure I would.”
So, if the fight between Bibiano Fernandes and Henry Cejudo did happen one day, who takes it?
