Henry Cejudo picked up the biggest win of his career on the main card of UFC Fight Night 78 on Saturday night in Monterrey, Mexico when he took home a split decision win over top contender Jussier Formiga.
The undefeated mixed martial artist was simply one step ahead of the Brazilian throughout the fight. He landed better shots in their striking exchanges and was able to take Formiga down a couple of times, but it was far from a dominant outing for Cejudo. With the flyweight division lacking contenders, however, this performance was likely enough to earn the Olympic gold medalist a crack at UFC champion Demetrious Johnson next year.
What was the high point of this fight?
I suppose the striking exchanges were the high point of this fight. Cejudo, once again, moved away from his wrestling and showed off his always-improving striking in his fourth Octagon appearance. There was a lot of clinch work in this bout and Cejudo definitely got the better of the striking in the clinch, as he landed some nice short shots and elbows. With that being said, the matchup was rather lackluster and nothing completely stood out.
Where do these two go from here?
Was Cejudo's win on Saturday overly impressive? Not really. But will he fight for the flyweight championship next? Probably. There's no one in the UFC's 125-pound division that deserves a shot against "Mighty Mouse" more than the undefeated Cejudo, and some believe Cejudo will give Johnson the toughest test of his career. Whether you like it or not, it's going to happen.
Formiga, on the other hand, has to go back to the drawing board. UFC matchmakers will likely give him a top 10 opponent next to get him back to winning ways. Formiga is still a top contender and could still fight for the title in the future, but as of now, he cannot beat the best of the best.
Watch now, later, or never?
As I mentioned above, nothing stood out to me in this fight. If you have 15 minutes to kill, go ahead and watch this later on, but it's probably not worth your time.
#UFCMonterrey Highlights: Henry Cejudo vs. Jussier Formiga https://t.co/n6RzqwUgXN
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) November 22, 2015
Get the latest gear
