Marlon Moraes thinks Henry Cejudo did the smart thing by taking a fight with Jose Aldo.
Cejudo is scheduled to put his UFC bantamweight championship on the line against Aldo on May 9. The bout will headline UFC 250 inside the Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Many have criticized the matchup as Aldo is getting a UFC title shot coming off two straight losses.
Moraes Doesn’t Blame Cejudo For Taking Aldo Fight
Speaking to reporters during a Dominance MMA media day session, Moraes, who defeated Aldo via split decision back in Dec. 2019, said he thinks Cejudo is capitalizing on the perfect opportunity (h/t MMAJunkie.com).
“I think it’s a smart decision,” Moraes said at a recent Dominance MMA media day. “Henry, it’s his position, he’s the champion, he won two belts, he gave up the flyweight division, and he pick a good fight. Good opponent for him. Aldo’s a legend, and we’ll see what happens, but I think he was smart. He took a good fight for him.”
Moraes competed against Cejudo back in June 2019. The bout was contested for the vacant UFC bantamweight gold. Cejudo ended up scoring a third-round TKO victory over Moraes to capture the 135-pound title.
For his next outing, Moraes is expected to face Petr Yan at UFC Kazakhstan on June 13. While not officially announced by the UFC, the bout has been agreed upon and will likely take place inside the Astana Arena in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
It’s a pivotal bout in the bantamweight division. Currently, Moraes is the number one-ranked UFC bantamweight while Yan holds the third spot. The winner could very well challenge for the 135-pound championship against the winner of Cejudo vs. Aldo.
Did the UFC make the right call in booking Henry Cejudo vs. Jose Aldo to fill the UFC 250 main event slot in Brazil, or should a more worthy bantamweight contender have received the shot?
