Two division UFC champion Henry Cejudo won the UFC Flyweight Title with a decision win over Demetrious Johnson at UFC 227, but hasn?t defended that belt since winning it.
Joseph Benavidez holds a victory over Cejudo and is potentially next in line for a flyweight title shot, but Benavidez wants Cejudo to make a decision regarding the future of the weight class.
?We know the deal ? it?s defend or relinquish,? Benavidez said to MMA Fighting. ?So let?s get a timeline now of when will he have to make a decision to defend. Because I?m OK with waiting, but to what end if it goes past a year and the guy ends up relinquishing the title, when we could have got things going in the division to keep momentum.?
Cejudo and Benavidez first met back at the UFC Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale, with Benavidez scoring a split decision win on that night.
UFC President Dana White previously stated that Benavidez would be next for Cejudo and Benavidez believes Cejudo knows that their encounter will actually be real one day.
?While we?re not fighting, he?s trying to stay relevant while he?s injured by making more outrageous claims and more outrageous names,? Benavidez said. ?I mean, we?re talking about him right now and everyone on Instagram is saying, ?You?re crazy,? so I guess it?s doing the job. He is getting more popular and he?s building the attention. I?ve never had more people in my life come up to me and say, ?I can?t wait until you beat Henry Cejudo.? That?s what people are telling me, so he?s doing it at his own expense. But it is in some way a formula because everyone is talking about it. At the end of the day, he?s already been told what has to happen. Maybe he?s just waiting for that to actually be real.?
There is no word yet on when Cejudo is going to be back in action, as he is currently on the shelf after getting surgery.