You don’t get to see Henry Cejudo break his character often. Here’s a rare moment when “The King of Cringe” showcased his true colors.

Love him or hate him, there’s a high chance you will watch him. But this wasn’t always the case. Cejudo had a tough time after claiming the UFC gold. Many critics believed that the flyweight division would dissipate after the defeat of Demetrious Johnson.

However, Cejudo kept it alive, at least for a now. So what changed? How did Cejudo gain so much momentum?

Some will say it’s because of his talent, and they are half right. But his skills alone did not make him or the division watchable. Cejudo’s persona outside the cage also factored in. The Olympic gold medallist adopted one of the “cringiest” characters in the game.

Henry Cejudo’s gimmicks

During his face-off against TJ Dillashaw, he brought a toy snake. Why? Because Conor McGregor called TJ a “snake in the grass” on The Ultimate Fighter. Also, Dillashaw left his longtime gym at Team Alpha Male for Duane Ludwig.

Following his fight with Dillashaw, he dressed up as a magician during his face-off against Marlon Moraes. Again, it wasn’t a random choice of clothing. Marlon’s nickname is ‘Magic.’ Hence, Cejudo dressed up as a magician and pulled off some magic tricks on the stage.

Henry Cejudo breaks character

There is absolutely no doubt that Cejudo uses his character to get under his opponents’ skin. But there is one more reason behind his actions.

Like everybody else, Cejudo wanted to be relevant. In an episode of ‘The Food Truck Diaries,’ Cejudo broke his character and stated that it is difficult to be a part of a gimmick. He also said he respects showmen like Colby Covington and Chael Sonnen.

“I respect Colby because I know exactly what he’s doing. Because I’m doing it. It’s a lot of pressure.” Cejudo said. “Even if people don’t like it, I am still gonna do it. There’s no turning back now. I am all in man!”

Cejudo’s next fight will take place this Saturday. The Bantamweight King will defend his title against Dominick Cruz. It will be Cejudo’s first title defense at bantamweight and arguably his hardest fight to date.