Henry Cejudo wants to see Conor McGregor stay at 145 or 155 pounds when, and if, he makes his highly anticipated return to the Octagon.
‘Triple C’ is currently in the process of his own return to competition after retiring nearly three years ago. Cejudo is rumored to return at a weight class he once ruled over whereas ‘The Notorious’ hopes to capture a third UFC title in the welterweight division thanks to his newfound physique and focus on power. Cejudo sees this as a big mistake, noting McGregor’s inability to reserve energy when competing at a higher weight class.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, ‘Triple C’ walked fans through multiple Conor McGregor fights and presented evidence as to why the Irish superstar would be better served by sticking to the featherweight division.
“Is going to 170 pounds the right decision? I do feel like Conor McGregor with his threshold, that’s his biggest energy because he throws too much power and he’s been throwing a little too much power too early, especially going up to 155 pounds,” Cejudo explained. “From 145 pounds to 155 pounds, you need to learn how to reserve that energy. 170, if I was your coach I would never make you do that because yeah, anybody could fight, but will I perform? Will I actually win? So my biggest thing is Conor McGregor is he needs to stick to 145 pounds or really hone in on 155. Get rid of 170 pounds. It’s just not right.
“Yeah, you’ve done some good things, but if you really want to conquer history and continue to keep doing that and solidify yourself as one of the greatest of all time, try to go back here (145 pounds) and win the belt. Try to go back here (155 pounds) and win the belt. Make a decision. Have the right game plan because your threshold at 170 does not translate.”
“He’s gotta go back to precision beats power and timing beats speed,” Cejudo said. “What happened to that Conor?”
With Conor McGregor controversially removing himself from the USADA testing pool following his second-straight loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, many have suggested he may never return to competition. If the former two-division champion is serious about making a comeback later this year, the earliest possible date would be late summer 2023 as McGregor will be required to undergo USADA testing for no less than six months.
