Henry Cejudo thinks Conor McGregor returning at middleweight would be quite the astonishing feat.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) announced that his fight with Michael Chandler June at International Fight Week will take place at 185 pounds, a weight class that neither man has ever fought in.
McGregor, a former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, has notched wins in three different weight classes. If he does indeed fight Chandler at middleweight, he will become the first fighter in UFC history to compete in four different weight divisions.
“Since the beginning, he said we’re going to be fighting at 185 pounds,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “I had actually mentioned, if you guys recall, Conor has the ability to go 155, 170, and guess what guys? Even 185 – and that’s exactly what he just pulled. Conor McGregor – will he win? I’m not sure.
“But the simple fact that Conor has fought at 145, 155, 170 and now 185, I mean, those are four different weight classes. Maybe Conor wants to be the first person to say, ‘Hey I fought in four different weight classes in the UFC’ – which is absolutely crazy, which is absolutely nuts.”
The desire to come back at 185 pounds comes after McGregor significantly put on size in his recovery from a broken leg suffered in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Considering that Chandler sports a similar frame, Cejudo doesn’t see an issue with the fight taking place two divisions above their natural weight class.
Cejudo praises Chandler for complying to McGregor’s stipulations.
“Conor has gotten big, and for that weight class, Conor is short,” Cejudo said. “But guess what? So is Michael Chandler. They’re both two short, stocky dudes that are going to be firing at 185 pounds.
“Michael Chandler did a really good job of just waiting, because you know why? Conor McGregor is a cash cow. I mean, I would wait almost two years to fight Conor… Those are a whole lot of (millions) that are coming your way, Michael Chandler.”