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‘He’s a Natural Competitor’-Joseph Benavidez Would Love To See Henry Cejudo Back in the UFC

Published 02/05/2021, 9:27 AM EST

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Henry Cejudo announced his retirement from MMA after his UFC 251 triumph over Dominick Cruz. ‘The Messenger’ decided that he has done it all in the game and it was time for him to hang up the gloves. His former opponent Joseph Benavidez recently shared his take on Triple-C’s hiatus.

“I think he wants to fight again. I mean he’s still young, has a lot probably left in him, you know? Doesn’t have a ton of mileage on him as a fighter even though, you know, he grinded in wrestling for so long. You know, there’s still money to be made, he still has a name,” Benavidez started.

I don’t think he has a girlfriend anymore, so maybe it leaves him some free time to get back in the fight. I know he’s training. He’s a natural competitor. So I’d love to see him back,” he added.

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Benavidez is the only man, apart from the legendary Demetrious Johnson, to ever defeat Cejudo in MMA. He is a bonafide Hall of Famer, for sure. But the UFC gold is something that has eluded him in his illustrious career.

Losses to Demetrious Johnson and two back-to-back defeats against current champion Deiveson Figueiredo recently shattered his dreams. He last fought Figueiredo for the second time in July.

Joseph Benavidez returns at UFC 259

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Benavidez is set to return at UFC 259 against the undefeated Askar Askarov in March. This is a big fight in his career as the legendary flyweight is on a 2-fight skid for the first time in his professional career. He will certainly want to return to winning ways and make his case to fight for the title yet again.

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Cejudo might even be interested to fight Benavidez again as well. It has been the only unavenged loss for ‘The Messenger‘. So it won’t be surprising if both men clash again given Cejudo competes again in the UFC. Nevertheless, UFC 259 will be Benavidez’s primary attention for now.

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What did you make of Joseph Benavidez‘s comments on Henry Cejudo? Can Benavidez return to title contention again? Let us know your thoughts.

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Written by:

Apratim Banerjee

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Apratim Banerjee is an MMA author for EssentiallySports and has been writing professionally for almost a year. Before his current gig, Apratim worked as a UFC writer for Sportskeeda. A long-time MMA fan, Apratim has developed a critical eye for the sport that has helped him transfer his vast knowledge to his copies and give hardcore and casual readers a detailed insight into the fights and fighters.
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