The road to a trilogy battle between Demetrius Johnson and Henry Cejudo will be difficult to navigate, but “Mighty Rat” says he’s willing to face his friendly foe again.
The pair’s former UFC champs parted ways in their first two title fights, creating a thirst for rubber fights. While the two fighters are at different stages of their careers, Johnson (24-4-1) is close behind with the ONE title, while Cejudo (16-2) is on the verge of returning to the UFC after retirement, with both The idea of a trilogy among the best is still interesting.
Even if they hang out together and spend some time in the same training room, is Johnson willing to face his friends again?
“Sure,” Johnson said in a post-match interview with ONE on Prime Video 1. “I mean, I’m sure if the money was crazy enough, I’m sure he and I would do it. Me and Henry, we’re cool, right? I know we’re going to fight because he’s got to make a lot of money to They buy diapers for his kids. I know he wants more kids. …it’s about keeping the lights on. So if Henry and I do have a fight, we’ll put it aside , make a lot of money together. After the fight, no matter who wins or loses, buy each other a beer.”
The first time the two met was at UFC 197, and Johnson was in the first round with A string of strikes ended Cejudo. A rematch at UFC 227 two years later saw Cejudo win back a split decision that marked Johnson’s exit from the cut. With time in the training room, Johnson can attest that Cejudo is still operating at a very high level.
“He can be with me, Henry Cejudo is still good, you know?” Johnson said. “He just jumped back into the USADA pool. He’s still under contract with the UFC. Henry wants that triple crown. Is he a ‘triple C?’ “Yeah. He wants that ‘quadruple C’. So, he wants Alex Volkanovsky, and that’s exactly what he wants.”
The reality is that a potential fight is nearly impossible to come together, considering the two fighters are under different flags. There are some major promotions like the Bellator and the PFL open to cross-promoting matches, but the UFC is very strict on this.
Johnson was part of a deal between the UFC and ONE that saw “Mighty Mouse” swap championships with Ben Askren, but it was very different from a co-promotional bout between the two companies.
“We are in two different organizations,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of things that have to move — mountains, and all that stuff, before this even becomes possible.”
Regardless, Cejudo also seems ready for a third fight.
“If I end up liking someone, like I’d love to come back and compete in flyweight, 100% it’s Demetrious Johnson,” Cejudo said in a Youtube video.
