Bantamweight champion Henry “Triple C” Cejudo 15-2, 7 KOs will defend the title against former champion Dominick Cruz 22-2, 7 KOs, 1 SUB at UFC 249 on May 9 in Florida. Check back for updates on how to watch the card.
Ever since Henry Cejudo became Triple C, he’s done a lot to draw the ire of MMA fans. He’s kind of like Colby Covington, only replace the inflammatory MAGA talk with cringeworthy bragging. It’s douchey for sure, but mostly harmless.
But what’s really made fans mad is how the champ is shamelessly chasing UFC fights with big names instead of deserving contenders. Reminder: Cejudo was originally scheduled to defend his title against Jose Aldo this Saturday. This is the same Jose Aldo that has lost two straight, including his first fight at bantamweight. The champ publicly angled for the Aldo fight, even with five fighters ranked above the Brazilian.
WIth Aldo held up in Brazil due to Covid-19, the UFC has tabbed Dominick Cruz to replace him. Cruz hasn’t fought since 2016, where he lost a clear decision to Cody Garbrandt. While Cruz is generally regarded as the division’s greatest champion, in no way does this seem like the right move - not when guys like Petyr Yan and Aljamain Sterling are circling.
Cejudo gets his wish for a big name opponent, and fans roll their eyes a bit harder. But despite what you think, this should be a fun fight. Dominick Cruz is the pioneer of one of the sport’s most intriguing fight styles, and Cejudo is on a stellar run having beaten Demetrious Johnson, TJ Dillashaw and Marlon Moraes in his past three.
Let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best betting options. During the fight, our online sportsbook offers live UFC betting lines as well.
Dominick Cruz +194
Henry Cejudo -250
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -150 / +110
Significant Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Cejudo 3.82 / Cruz 3.53
Striking accuracy: Cejudo 44% / Cruz 31%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Cejudo 2.73 / Cruz 2.15
Striking defense: Cejudo 65% / Cruz 74%
Grappling Stats
Takedowns per 15 minutes: Cejudo 2.16 / Cruz 3.17
Takedown accuracy: Cejudo 35% / Cruz 50%
Takedown defense: Cejudo 90% / Cruz 83%
Submissions average: Cejudo 0.2 / Cruz 0.1
The online sportsbook opened with Cejudo as a major -250 favorite, with Cruz at +194 on the comeback. Honestly, we’re not sure how the lines will move in the days leading up to the fight - it’s easy to talk yourself into backing either guy.
Cruz hasn’t fought in three years because of major injury, and he’s 34 years old. Everything about that sentence is scary. This is not a sport that is kind to the body, and Cruz is one of the most snakebitten fighters in MMA history. While he’s not ancient at 34, his athletic prime is squarely in the rearview mirror.
However, there is a precedent here: Cruz came back after three years in 2014 and looked like the killer that tore through the WEC and UFC. His frenetic style was never figured out until Cody Garbrandt fought the perfect fight. He’s also a true bantamweight fighting an upjumped flyweight.
But Cejudo has a huge advantage just by being a younger, healthier dude. He doesn’t have to worry about Cruz’s wrestling, and he will be the faster fighter inside the octagon. Garbrandt’s speed and defensive wrestling gave Cruz a ton of problems, though he doesn’t have nearly the same power or technical boxing.
If anyone can jump right back into action, it’s Cruz. His style is enigmatic enough to give Cejudo fits for 25 minutes. At the same time, Cejudo doesn’t present a finishing threat against Cruz. There’s an excellent chance that Cruz ekes out a decision here, and at 2-1 odds we’ll take that bet.
