UFC 211: Questionable Matchmaking Hangs Over Henry Cejudo vs. Sergio Pettis
UFC 211: Questionable Matchmaking Hangs Over Henry Cejudo vs. Sergio Pettis
Former UFC flyweight title challenger Henry Cejudo will face Sergio Pettis at UFC 211 in Dallas.
On Tuesday ESPN's Brett Okamoto reported that former flyweight title challenger Henry Cejudo will face Sergio Pettis at UFC 211 on May 13th.
Cejudo (10-2) is coming off a controversial split decision loss to Joseph Benavidez at the TUF 24 Finale in December. In that fight, the majority of media members scored the matchup either a draw or a win for the former Olympic gold medalist. The 30-year old is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career and he'll be searching for his first win since November 2015.
Pettis (15-2) has won four-straight fights including a unanimous decision triumph over John Moraga this past January at UFC Fight Night 103. The Roufusport product has yet to finish an opponent inside the Octagon, as all six of his UFC wins have gone to the judges' scorecards.
With how little buzz there is in the flyweight division, it's somewhat surprising to see the UFC book this matchup in favor of a rematch between Cejudo and Benavidez. As mentioned above, there was some controversy in the WEC veteran's victory in their first encounter and a second fight would have finally settled the score. Add in the fact that these two coached opposite each other on TUF 24, this was a rematch that had fans somewhat intrigued with the flyweight division for a change.
Instead we're given what looks like an exciting battle on paper, but a matchup where the UFC is clearly taking a "high risk, high reward" mentality with Pettis. The 23-year old has amassed an impressive 6-2 record in the UFC but this is a major step up in competition. The risk here is along with his Olympic credentials, Cejudo has made tremendous strides in his skillset in the cage. Even if Pettis can stand and trade with Cejudo, he'll still have to worry about the superior wresting game of his elder foe.
The UFC has been doing a great job building the Milwaukee native back up after his knockout loss to Ryan Benoit at UFC 185 back in March of 2015. He clearly deserves a step up, but this seems like too big of a leap. Why rush one of the division's best prospects into a matchup with the No. 2 ranked fighter in the division?
The reward here is that if Pettis can earn his fifth-win in a row, it's undoubtedly a fast track to a title shot. With champion Demetrious Johnson facing Wilson Reis at UFC on FOX 24 next month, a Pettis victory could easily propel him into championship contention. With his older brother Anthony being a former UFC lightweight champion, Pettis winning would certainly bring some name value to the top of the division.
Johnson has cleaned out the 125-pound division and if Cejudo wins again are fight fans clamoring to see him face-off with 'Mighty Mouse' so soon? And if Cejudo suffers another setback, that's three losses in a row for a fighter who just turned 30 last month. It would kill any momentum the UFC had built for him since he made is promotional debut in 2014.
Personally I would have booked Pettis against another fellow prospect like Brandon Moreno (who takes on Dustin Ortiz at UFC Fight Night 108) where we'd get a good indication of where both fighters fit in the division. In addition, this doesn't take out a top contender in Cejudo who is a major chip for the UFC in the Latin-American markets.
UFC 211 takes place May 13th at the American Airlines Centre in Dallas, TX. The main event features heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic defending his title in a rematch against Junior Dos Santos.
Cejudo (10-2) is coming off a controversial split decision loss to Joseph Benavidez at the TUF 24 Finale in December. In that fight, the majority of media members scored the matchup either a draw or a win for the former Olympic gold medalist. The 30-year old is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in his career and he'll be searching for his first win since November 2015.
Pettis (15-2) has won four-straight fights including a unanimous decision triumph over John Moraga this past January at UFC Fight Night 103. The Roufusport product has yet to finish an opponent inside the Octagon, as all six of his UFC wins have gone to the judges' scorecards.
With how little buzz there is in the flyweight division, it's somewhat surprising to see the UFC book this matchup in favor of a rematch between Cejudo and Benavidez. As mentioned above, there was some controversy in the WEC veteran's victory in their first encounter and a second fight would have finally settled the score. Add in the fact that these two coached opposite each other on TUF 24, this was a rematch that had fans somewhat intrigued with the flyweight division for a change.
Instead we're given what looks like an exciting battle on paper, but a matchup where the UFC is clearly taking a "high risk, high reward" mentality with Pettis. The 23-year old has amassed an impressive 6-2 record in the UFC but this is a major step up in competition. The risk here is along with his Olympic credentials, Cejudo has made tremendous strides in his skillset in the cage. Even if Pettis can stand and trade with Cejudo, he'll still have to worry about the superior wresting game of his elder foe.
The UFC has been doing a great job building the Milwaukee native back up after his knockout loss to Ryan Benoit at UFC 185 back in March of 2015. He clearly deserves a step up, but this seems like too big of a leap. Why rush one of the division's best prospects into a matchup with the No. 2 ranked fighter in the division?
The reward here is that if Pettis can earn his fifth-win in a row, it's undoubtedly a fast track to a title shot. With champion Demetrious Johnson facing Wilson Reis at UFC on FOX 24 next month, a Pettis victory could easily propel him into championship contention. With his older brother Anthony being a former UFC lightweight champion, Pettis winning would certainly bring some name value to the top of the division.
Johnson has cleaned out the 125-pound division and if Cejudo wins again are fight fans clamoring to see him face-off with 'Mighty Mouse' so soon? And if Cejudo suffers another setback, that's three losses in a row for a fighter who just turned 30 last month. It would kill any momentum the UFC had built for him since he made is promotional debut in 2014.
Personally I would have booked Pettis against another fellow prospect like Brandon Moreno (who takes on Dustin Ortiz at UFC Fight Night 108) where we'd get a good indication of where both fighters fit in the division. In addition, this doesn't take out a top contender in Cejudo who is a major chip for the UFC in the Latin-American markets.
UFC 211 takes place May 13th at the American Airlines Centre in Dallas, TX. The main event features heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic defending his title in a rematch against Junior Dos Santos.