Henry Cejudo thinks Robert Whittaker could be UFC champ at light heavyweight

Henry Cejudo could see Robert Whittaker as a two-division UFC champion.

Whittaker (24-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC), a former middleweight champion, is perhaps one win away from another shot at gold. His UFC 284 bout with Paulo Costa fell through, and it looks as though he won’t compete on the Perth, Australia card.

In order to keep Whittaker fighting on home soil, Cejudo suggests he takes a fight at light heavyweight, where he sees him having great success.

“What you do is you get him a fight at light heavyweight,” Cejudo said on “The Triple C & Schmo Show.” “I think Robert Whittaker would do some amazing things at light heavyweight. I could even see him becoming champion. If I was Robert Whittaker, I’d call out the biggest, baddest dude who’s open at 205. Call him out, beat him, and then start calling for the championship at 205. Why not?”

Whittaker did express interest in a potential future move at light heavyweight before. But if he were to stay in his original home, Cejudo thinks the UFC shouldn’t book an immediate rematch between champion Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya.

Instead, Cejudo likes the idea of giving Whittaker the title shot.

“I think Israel needs to take a break,” Cejudo said. “I think Israel needs to get better. I think Israel needs to add to his game, to his grappling, to his wrestling, to all that. So if I was Robert Whittaker, I would really be stepping on the toes of Alex Pereira. I would really be making a scene. I would be asking for it. I would be calling him out.”

He continued, “In my opinion, Robert Whittaker could beat him (Pereira); he really can. Just based on the styles of the fight, Robert could take him down. Robert is more strategic. He has more lateral movements. Let these guys (Whittaker and Pereira) go to war. You chill out, you hang out, and then eventually get the winner of that if I was Israel.”