Cejudo provides one other belt with TKO of Moraes
Marc RaimondiESPN
CHICAGO — Henry Cejudo has an Olympic wrestling gold medal. He has the UFC flyweight title. And now, among the best fight sport athletes of all time has added some extra gold to his assortment: the UFC bantamweight title belt.
Cejudo, 32, stopped Marlon Moraes through TKO with floor and pound at four:51 of the third spherical Saturday evening in the principle occasion of UFC 238 at United Heart. The bout was for the vacant bantamweight title forfeited earlier this 12 months by TJ Dillashaw due to a failed drug check.
“I am not champ-champ,” Cejudo stated in an impassioned postfight speech. “My identify is Triple C — Olympic champion, flyweight champion of the world and now bantamweight champion of the world. I am the best fight athlete of all time and I simply stole the title of finest pound-for-pound fighter too.”
Moraes clearly received the primary spherical. It appeared as if his pace would give Cejudo bother all evening. He was throwing lightning-fast mixtures and touchdown. Cejudo had some reddening on his proper cheek from punches and his lead leg was getting tousled by Moraes kicks.
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However within the second spherical, Cejudo stated he noticed Moraes change. He stated Moraes was throwing with an excessive amount of energy and operating out of gasoline.
“His demeanor confirmed all the things,” Cejudo stated.
Cejudo was bloodied in a wild spherical. However he landed huge knees to Moraes’ head in a Thai clinch. The 2 traded haymakers because the spherical got here to a detailed. Within the third, Cejudo took over. He busted up Moraes’ nostril with punches, crushed him with a knee to the physique, took him down and took high place. Moraes rained elbows and punches down on Moraes till referee Marc Goddard stepped in to cease it.
Afterward, Cejudo stated he had a “hit listing.” He known as out former bantamweight champions Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt, in addition to legend Urijah Faber. “The Messenger” stated he additionally wished to go as much as featherweight and combat for a 3rd title there.
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Dana White breaks down what he noticed from Henry Cejudo in his TKO win vs. Marlon Moraes, and the turning level of the combat for Cejudo. For extra UFC motion, join ESPN+ http://plus.espn.com/ufc.
“I need to begin getting paid,” Cejudo stated. “I need to begin making heavyweight cash.”
Cejudo (15-2) stated he had a severely sprained ankle heading into the combat however overcame it regardless of the ache. The Arizona resident is simply the fourth fighter in UFC historical past to carry two titles concurrently (Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes are the others).
McGregor tweeted his congratulations to Cejudo, who has received 5 straight bouts.
Congratulations Henry Cejudo! Welcome to the membership 🥃 https://t.co/xF2BHGfr9n
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) June 9, 2019
Moraes (22-6-1) noticed his four-fight profitable streak come to an finish. Earlier than Saturday, the 31-year-old New Jersey resident had just one loss since 2011.