We used to be friends and he even stayed with me for a short period of time. I helped him get on The Ultimate Fighter show, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out. We attempted to choose him as the second option, but he ended up joining the other team and training with Joseph Benavidez. As a result, we drifted apart and our friendship ended.
At the post-fight press conference of UFC 288, Cejudo was informed of Moreno’s challenge. In response, he stated:
It seems like everyone wants a share of my attention now. If the UFC is interested in arranging something, we can discuss it further. Money is definitely a factor. However, I won’t agree to do it in Mexico. I would prefer to have it take place in America or somewhere similar.
“Please hold off on retiring, @henry_cejudo. I plan on winning my upcoming fight in July and would like to challenge you to a main event match in Mexico City. I will move down to 135 lbs and am not concerned about belts. Let’s settle this between just the two of us in the octagon.”
Henry Cejudo provides insight into the reasons behind Brandon Moreno’s decision to challenge him.
During The Ultimate Fighter Season 24 in 2016, Henry Cejudo served as a coach opposite Joseph Benavidez. A flyweight participant named Brandon Moreno had a strong bond with Cejudo during that time. However, Benavidez chose Moreno for his team, causing a rift in his friendship with Cejudo.Prior to focusing on a potential bout against Cejudo, Moreno is set to defend his flyweight title on July 8 against Alexandre Pantoja. Pantoja has previously defeated Moreno twice, including once on The Ultimate Fighter. It remains to be seen if Pantoja can dethrone Moreno and become the new 125-pound champion at UFC 290.
At the post-fight press conference of UFC 288, Cejudo elaborated on his association with Moreno by stating:
[embedded content]Following his defeat at UFC 288, Henry Cejudo replied to Brandon Moreno’s challenge.
Cejudo returned to the octagon on May 6 after a three-year break to compete for the bantamweight championship against Aljamain Sterling. Despite not winning the fight, Cejudo demonstrated that he still has the ability to compete. Following his defeat, Moreno publicly challenged the former two-division UFC champion on Instagram.