“Their Understanding of the Game…Goes Up 25 Percent”- Chael Sonnen Details How Being a Coach Will Help Henry Cejudo on His Return

Published 06/04/2022, 2:14 AM EDT

Henry Cejudo has been making headlines. First with his retirement, then taking on the role of a coach, and now his return to the sport. Hence, retired MMA fighter Chael Sonnen shared his thoughts on the former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion.

Cejudo has been coaching fighters, and at the same time desires to return to fighting. Hence, Sonnen asked a thought-provoking question- “Is Henry going to be a better fighter now that he is a coach?”

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He further said, “Most coaches that you meet, this could be any walk of life; be a basketball player. But they will tell you that their understanding of the game, their strategies at a technical standpoint goes up 25 percent as soon as they start coaching.”

“As soon as they have to articulate it and teach it to somebody else. But it’s very hard to coach and compete. Very hard. You’re not going to find me a lot of examples.”

“If you’re coaching and you’re selfless or if you’re training and you’re selfish. It’s very hard to combine the two. So I don’t know what Henry’s going to do. I think it is relevant that Henry is going down that new path.”

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Chael Sonnen further wondered if athletes who see him as the coach will be able to see him as a teammate when he is about to compete. Additionally, the former UFC title challenger also speculated whether ‘Triple C’ would be able to focus on his camp if he also took on coaching responsibilities.

Chael Sonnen: Will Henry Cejudo get the best of both worlds?

While Sonnen asked several intriguing questions, he also admitted that ‘Triple C’ might be able to get the best of both worlds by coaching and competing. Hence, he feels Cejudo could have taken the 25 percent step up in his knowledge and view of the game.

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‘The Messenger’ last fought Dominick Cruz in 2020 at UFC 249. Post that, he retired. However, the fighter recently announced he was back in USADA’s testing pool.

Lately, he has also been calling out fighters. This includes UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, Conor McGregor, and bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling.

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Watch this story: Everything You Need To Know About Analyst Laura Sanko’s Meteoric Rise In The UFC

Do you think Henry Cejudo will be able to balance coaching and competing? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Rohini Kottu is a UFC Writer at EssentiallySports. She is also a Psychologist and has a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. Rohini, in her role as a UFC writer, combines her admiration for the mental resilience that MMA fighters have and her love for analysis.

Edited by:

Reubyn Coutinho

“Their Understanding of the Game…Goes Up 25 Percent”- Chael Sonnen Details How Being a Coach Will Help Henry Cejudo on His Return

Chael Sonnen: Will Henry Cejudo get the best of both worlds?

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