Dana White confirms Henry Cejudo will headline first UFC Seattle card in 12 years after Khabib Nurmagomedov suggestion
Henry Cejudo is set for his UFC return in 2025. The former dual-champion will take on Song Yadong at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on February 23. Cejudo is one of the greatest UFC fighters of all timeGetty “We have not been to Seattle in 12 years!” White said on X as he posted a picture of the card. “I will see you soon UFC Seattle.” Cejudo is fresh off consecutive losses to Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili after a persistent shoulder injury and shocking announcement kept him out for three years. On his return to MMA, Cejudo lost the chance to secure bantamweight gold for the second time when he fought Sterling in May 2023, following a bombshell announcement that he was retiring after knocking out Dominick Cruz at UFC 249. ‘Triple C’ is one of the most successful UFC fighters of all time, having held both the UFC flyweight and bantamweight titles in 2019. Cejudo battled Demetrious Johnson for his first chance at UFC gold in his fourth fight for Dana White’s promotion in 2016 but was knocked out after receiving several devastating knees. However, two years later he fought his way back to a title shot and beat Johnson by split-decision after five rounds at UFC 227. He then defended his brand-new UFC flyweight title against TJ Dillashaw before claiming the bantamweight belt against Marlon Moraes and retaining it against Cruz. This fight announcement comes a few weeks after UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov suggested Cejudo’s next move in White’s promotion. “There is no other option for [Alexandre] Pantoja. There is no fight,” he told Cejudo. “I think if they want some big fight for this weight class, they have to make this: Cejudo vs Pantoja.” View Tweet: https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFCSeattle?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Cejudo held two belts simultaneously after knocking out Moraes in 2019Getty Although his fight with Yadong is at bantamweight, Cejudo has previously teased a return to flyweight. He vacated both of the flyweight and bantamweight titles after retiring in 2020. Alexandre Pantoja defended his flyweight title at UFC 310 against Kai Asakura in December and proceeded to call out Johnson after the bout to ‘prove you’re the GOAT’. Johnson hasn’t fought in the UFC since dropping his flyweight title to Cejudo in August 2017, and confirmed in the aftermath of UFC 310 that he wouldn’t be making a return. This had numerous MMA fans thinking that the only other suitable alternative would be someone like ‘Triple C’. Nurmagomedov pressed Cejudo on if he can make flyweight once again, as he would no doubt have to endure a brutal weight cut to make the 125-pound title fight limit. Cejudo could face Pantoja for flyweight gold after he fights YadongGetty “Yeah, I can make it,” Cejudo said. “It’s just a lot of discipline. I’ve got to maybe fast for like a week, lose a good 10 pounds, and then from there just be on a strict diet. “With only water, I think I’d lose about 15 pounds.” Cejudo goes into the fight with Yadong as the No.7 ranked bantamweight in the UFC’s official rankings, which is one place above his Chinese counterpart. Elsewhere on the UFC Fight Card in Seattle, No.9 ranked bantamweight Rob Font takes on Cruz, who returns to MMA after a three-year hiatus. Edson Barboza faces Steve Garcia in a featherweight bout and Jean Silva takes on Melsik Baghdasaryan in the same division. Meanwhile, No.9 ranked middleweight Brendan Allen faces Anthony Hernandez and No.5 ranked heavyweight Curtis Blaydes, who is one of few MMA fighters with a victory over Tom Aspinall, challenges Russia’s Rizvan Kuniev. UFC Fight Night 252 marks the first time White’s promotion has returned to Seattle since July 2013.
Henry Cejudo is set for his UFC return in 2025.
The former dual-champion will take on Song Yadong at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena on February 23.
“We have not been to Seattle in 12 years!” White said on X as he posted a picture of the card. “I will see you soon UFC Seattle.”
Cejudo is fresh off consecutive losses to Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili after a persistent shoulder injury and shocking announcement kept him out for three years.
On his return to MMA, Cejudo lost the chance to secure bantamweight gold for the second time when he fought Sterling in May 2023, following a bombshell announcement that he was retiring after knocking out Dominick Cruz at UFC 249.
‘Triple C’ is one of the most successful UFC fighters of all time, having held both the UFC flyweight and bantamweight titles in 2019.
Cejudo battled Demetrious Johnson for his first chance at UFC gold in his fourth fight for Dana White’s promotion in 2016 but was knocked out after receiving several devastating knees.
However, two years later he fought his way back to a title shot and beat Johnson by split-decision after five rounds at UFC 227.
He then defended his brand-new UFC flyweight title against TJ Dillashaw before claiming the bantamweight belt against Marlon Moraes and retaining it against Cruz.
This fight announcement comes a few weeks after UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov suggested Cejudo’s next move in White’s promotion.
“There is no other option for [Alexandre] Pantoja. There is no fight,” he told Cejudo.
“I think if they want some big fight for this weight class, they have to make this: Cejudo vs Pantoja.”
Although his fight with Yadong is at bantamweight, Cejudo has previously teased a return to flyweight.
He vacated both of the flyweight and bantamweight titles after retiring in 2020.
Alexandre Pantoja defended his flyweight title at UFC 310 against Kai Asakura in December and proceeded to call out Johnson after the bout to ‘prove you’re the GOAT’.
Johnson hasn’t fought in the UFC since dropping his flyweight title to Cejudo in August 2017, and confirmed in the aftermath of UFC 310 that he wouldn’t be making a return.
This had numerous MMA fans thinking that the only other suitable alternative would be someone like ‘Triple C’.
Nurmagomedov pressed Cejudo on if he can make flyweight once again, as he would no doubt have to endure a brutal weight cut to make the 125-pound title fight limit.
“Yeah, I can make it,” Cejudo said. “It’s just a lot of discipline. I’ve got to maybe fast for like a week, lose a good 10 pounds, and then from there just be on a strict diet.
“With only water, I think I’d lose about 15 pounds.”
Cejudo goes into the fight with Yadong as the No.7 ranked bantamweight in the UFC’s official rankings, which is one place above his Chinese counterpart.
Elsewhere on the UFC Fight Card in Seattle, No.9 ranked bantamweight Rob Font takes on Cruz, who returns to MMA after a three-year hiatus.
Edson Barboza faces Steve Garcia in a featherweight bout and Jean Silva takes on Melsik Baghdasaryan in the same division.
Meanwhile, No.9 ranked middleweight Brendan Allen faces Anthony Hernandez and No.5 ranked heavyweight Curtis Blaydes, who is one of few MMA fighters with a victory over Tom Aspinall, challenges Russia’s Rizvan Kuniev.
UFC Fight Night 252 marks the first time White’s promotion has returned to Seattle since July 2013.
