Henry Cejudo (13-2) vs. Dillashaw (16-3) ODDS: Dillashaw (-210), Cejudo (+175) For better or for worse, 2018 was the year of the superfight, and the UFC kicks off 2019 with the same theme. Henry Cejudo vs TJ Dillashaw: analysis and prediction. Cejudo is very fast despite how big he is for the weight class, while TJ is one of the faster guys in Bantamweight, which means that in. UFC Brooklyn: Cejudo vs Dillashaw - Daniel Cormier Preview. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.

UFC Fight Night 143 Picks

When: Saturday, January 19, 2019

Where: Barclays Center

TV: ESPN+

Fight Analysis:

Fight Night 143 in Anaheim features a fascinating pairing of UFC champions, with bantamweight king TJ Dillashaw battling UFC Flyweight titleholder Henry Cejudo in the main event. It’s momentous when two reigning champions do battle. Dillashaw will be going for his second UFC belt, dropping down to 125 pounds to take on Cejudo. The flyweight champ and former Olympic gold medalist is coming off a huge title-win over long-unchallenged kingpin Demetrious Johnson. Beating Dillashaw would give him perhaps the best back-to-back win sequence in lower weight division UFC history. Who comes out ahead in the main event of Fight Night 143?

Henry Cejudo, 13-2 (5 KOs, 8 Submissions), (+165) vs. TJ Dillashaw, 16-3 (8 KOs, 3 Submissions), (-190)

UFC Flyweight Champion Henry Cejudo takes on UFC Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw in the Fight Night 143 main event. While it was controversial, Cejudo, 31, was able to beat the long-reigning Johnson by split decision in August. It avenged a previous defeat and put Cejudo in line for super-fights like this. Dropping down to 125, Dillashaw, 32, is looking at a serious challenge, facing a vastly-skilled champion in a new division. But Dillashaw is no ordinary fighter, and now in his second stint as 135-pound champion, he’s established himself as the best bantamweight in history.

A few things stand out about this matchup and one is the weight. At this low a weight, ten pounds is a big deal. Without really knowing the ease in which Dillashaw made 135 pounds, his physique suggests that it wasn’t by a lot. You would figure a professional athlete of TJ’s caliber wouldn’t just be diving into the unknown as far as making 125 pounds is concerned. But at 135, you see a ripped athlete, and it’s hard to imagine where there are another ten pounds to be shed.

Another standout topic is where does Cejudo fall exactly on the spectrum-of-merit? At the end of the day, he’s a champion—a former Olympic gold medal winner in wrestling and as accomplished as a fighter can get. But there are a lot of people who think he should be 0-3 against the better opposition he has fought. He lost to Johnson, and Joseph Benavidez and many people felt he didn’t deserve the call against Johnson in the rematch. In nine UFC appearances, he has scored just one stoppage victory.

The word is that this will be the final flyweight fight in the UFC. Johnson was indeed a fine champion but fell into disfavor with the UFC, which may have hastened his demise. Cejudo winning the belt wasn’t enough to save the division. In other words, the division has fallen into disrepair, making Cejudo a lame-duck champion in a division that will soon be no more. So even if he defends this belt, he won’t be a champion—some reward for beating Johnson and Dillashaw, two of the more-illustrious champions in UFC history.

Dillashaw has been on a nice run of success, only interrupted by an iffy 2016 loss to Dominick Cruz. Cruz’ conqueror, Cody Garbrandt, entered into a prolonged rivalry with Dillashaw, resulting in two memorable knockout wins for Dillashaw. He is really a terrific fighter, great with his hands and galvanized by a perfect level of confidence and poise. Against a very-talented Garbrandt, his ability to be ultra-alert, but also relaxed and clear-thinking, gave him a big edge over his guns-a-blazing opponent.

Dillashaw does a lot of things in the octagon that should trouble Cejudo. There is no questioning that Cejudo is a supreme wrestler, the best one that Dillashaw has ever faced. But let’s not sleep altogether on Dillashaw’s wrestling chops, which are extreme. There is a divide in the wrestling skills of both men in Cejudo’s favor. And that could be a big factor in this fight.

That divide, however, becomes more of a Grand Canyon when breaking down their standup skills. Dillashaw is on another level. His movement is brilliant, both in setting up strikes or in thwarting his opponent’s advances. He is one of those MMA fighters you can actually project doing well in boxing, with his fluidity, suddenness of punching, and purposeful movement. Cejudo, contrarily, looks like a wrestler who took up striking later in life.

Another dimension of this fight, with it being five rounds, is stamina. Not to impugn Cejudo’s stamina, but Dillashaw is the like the Energizer bunny. And over a 25-minute distance, that’s a lot of energy for Cejudo to contain. Again, with only one stoppage victory win in the UFC, that wouldn’t appear to be a reasonable route to victory for Cejudo. Dillashaw has been stopped just once, back in 2011. And it’s hard to find a fighter who has improved more drastically since then than Dillashaw.

I just don’t see Cejudo being able to stifle Dillashaw for five rounds without adverse effect. I think the speed of Dillashaw will present problems for Cejudo, as will the diversity of the 135-pound king’s striking. At the end of the day, I don’t think there are many fighters in the UFC with more merit than Dillashaw, while Cejudo is a bit fortunate to be in this position. I’m going with TJ Dillashaw.

My Pick to Win: I’m betting on TJ Dillashaw at -190. I think he’s the better fighter and a good value at just -190. The weight-drop and Cejudo’s otherworldly wrestling loom as concerns, but Cejudo backers should have even more worry. I think there’s a good chance Dillashaw ends this one before the distance.

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The penultimate fight before the main event at UFC 249. Henry Cejudo is putting his UFC bantamweight title on the line against Dominick Cruz. Fans can watch this fight, and the rest of the main card at UFC 249, on ESPN+ starting at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 9. Here, we preview the bout, along with the latest odds and predictions.

UFC 249: Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz odds

To nobody’s surprise, the champ, Cejudo is favored to win this fight against Cruz.

Cejudo Vs Dillashaw Full Fight

Neither fighter has stepped into the Octagon in a while. Cejudo last fought last June when he claimed the bantamweight belt. Cruz hasn’t fought in more than three years.

Per Bovada, here are the latest odds:

• Henry Cejudo: -210
• Dominick Cruz: +170

Even though Cruz may be rusty after spending three years away from the sport, it’s worth noting he had won 13 straight before his last defeat.

Henry Cejudo: ‘The Messenger’ has become a lethal striker

Cejudo certainly sent a message the last time he fought. Outlasting Marlon Moraes, his endurance was evident in the third round. Before his TKO, Cejudo landed an incredible 72% of his strikes in that round. Once he got Moraes on the ground, “The Messenger” ended things with a barrage of strikes that incapacitated his opponent.

It was the third time in five fights that Cejudo won in TKO fashion. During his previous fight, Cejudo needed all of 32 seconds to put T.J. Dillashaw down.

For a guy who came into the UFC with a wrestling background, Cejudo has turned himself into a lethal striker. That’s going to be something to watch on Saturday during UFC 249.

Dominick Cruz: ‘The Dominator’ ready to reassert his dominance

Henry Cejudo Vs Dillashaw Fight

Before injuries forced him to take an extended break from the UFC, Cruz was among the most feared fighters around. He won 13 straight heading into his UFC 207 match against Cody Garbrandt. “The Dominator” has lost just twice in 24 fights.

Even in defeat, Cruz looked fantastic against Dillashaw. He was quick, hard to hit, and the match was incredibly close from start to finish. So this isn’t the case of a beat-up old fighter coming back. Instead, Cruz is finally healthy again and eager to put his name right back at the top of the UFC’s list when it comes to bantamweight powerhouses.

Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz: Notable quotes ahead of UFC 249

As he looks to regain his UFC Bantamweight crown, Cruz hasn’t shied away from some trash talk. In fact, he’s already downplaying this fight against Cruz as less of a challenge than his victory over Dillashaw back in January, 2016.

“I think the win over T.J. would mean more because T.J Dillashaw is a true bantamweight, and Henry is still a [125-er,] so realistically this isn’t gonna be as tough of a fight as T.J., I know that,” Cruz said on the UFC 249 media conference call (via Sherdog.com).

For his part, Cejudo is eager to shut Cruz up in a big way. Responding to the notion that he may have “ring rust,” he took to Twitter with a taunt directed at Cruz.

Previously, Cejudo’s taunts were even more eye-opening.

“I thought about it with Dominick and Dominick is unpredictable. He’s too brittle,” Cejuco said, during an IG live with ESPN MMA (h/t Sherdog.com). I’m afraid to sign a contract with him cause I don’t know if he’s going to show up.”

This is the kind of trash talk we’re here for. It won’t be long until it’s put-up, shut-up time for both fighters.

Podcast Predictions for UFC 249 – LISTEN NOW

UFC 249: Henry Cejudo vs Dominick Cruz prediction

It’s going to be fascinating to see how these two veteran fighters approach this coming bout.

Will they take an aggressive approach, looking to end each other swiftly with decisive strikes? They both have that ability, to be sure. Or, will they be looking to test one another’s conditioning, seeking a decision?

My heart wants a brawl. My brain tells me these vets will be a bit more tentative. If that does indeed become the theme, then I lean toward Cruz coming back from his three-year hiatus with a victory.

Cejudo Dillashaw Height

Prediction: Cruz wins via unanimous decision