Henry Cejudo says it's time for a featherweight super fight. Alexander Volkanovski and Patricio Pitbull continue to clear out their divisions and have cemented themselves as the pound-for-pound bests in their respective promotions. In the aftermath of Bellator 286, Cejudo says it's time for UFC president Dana White and Bellator president Scott Coker to link up.
Pitbull found stability in his third reign as Bellator featherweight champion by turning back challenger Adam Borics on Saturday night. Volkanovski closed the book on his competitive trilogy with Max Holloway in a five-round fight that left no doubt that Volkanovski was the superior fighter. Former two-division UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist Cejudo -- a training partner of the Pitbull brothers -- is champing at the bit to see the dream match.
"I say we start challenging the UFC," Cejudo recently said on "The Triple C & Schmo Show." "To me, I'm not a UFC fighter. I'm a fighter that wants to say I am the best, and I believe in competing and going up against anybody that is the best, and if it does happen to be Alexander Volkanovski that they think, give him Pitbull. Pitbull has been there, defeated some of the greats. I think it's time for the crossover.
"I just think Patricio's IQ, his power in his hands, the fact that he could wrestle... I mean, he's a real mixed martial artist. I think people need to really pay him respect even though he's not part of the UFC. He got rid of a guy like Michael Chandler in a minute-and-a-half. Think about it, a real guy that's a top guy in the world at 155 pounds, this dude got rid of him in a minute-and-a-half, which is crazy. Would Max Holloway or would Alexander Volkanovski do that to somebody like Michael Chandler?"
More UFC news, rumors
- Kevin Holland may have set another UFC record. Holland, who tied the records for most UFC fights and most UFC victories in a calendar year, is coming out of an absurdly short-lived, self-imposed retirement. Holland proclaimed himself retired as recently as Tuesday. On Wednesday, UFC announced that Holland will fight Stephen Thompson on Saturday, Dec. 3. The five-round welterweight main event takes place inside the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Holland is coming off a first-round submission loss to Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279, a fight made the day before the pay-per-view. Thompson is coming off consecutive losses to Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns last year.
- Nestled on the undercard in Orlando is a battle between Yazmin Jauregui and Istela Nunes. Multiple sources confirmed the matchup to MMA Fighting. Jauregui, an undefeated women's strawweight who cut her teeth in Combate Global, impressed viewers in an exciting unanimous decision win against Iasmin Lucindo in August. Nunes has her back against the wall after losing her first two fights under the UFC banner.