Henry Cejudo Targeting Dominick Cruz as Replacement Opponent for Jose Aldo is Disappointing

With the latest news that Khabib Nurmagomedov is almost certainly out of fighting Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, Dana White has been scrambling to find options to fill a card that is in serious jeopardy. Potential opponents for Tony Ferguson have been suggested so that the fight goes on, but other fighters have throw their name in contention to step up and fight, including UFC Bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo.

Cejudo, who is already scheduled to fight Jose Aldo at UFC 250, has offered to move the title fight up to April 18 to fill the main event. However, with Aldo also stuck in his native country due to travel restrictions, Cejudo has appeared to settle on another potential opponent in Dominick Cruz. Cejudo claims that Cruz would be "on deck" to fight him should Aldo become unavailable, despite other serious options clearly being available.

In all honesty, it is extremely disappointing for Cejudo to call out Cruz, while ignoring Bantamweight contenders like Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling. Dominick Cruz hasn't fought since 2016 due to countless injury problems, and for Cejudo to chase attention and money like this will not help his public image.

Yes, Cejudo is one of the most accomplished athletes in the history of combat sports, and deserves tremendous respect. However, ever since he defeated Demetrious Johnson to win his first title, it seems Cejudo is less interested in fighting the toughest guy, and more interested in trying to make as much money as possible.

For a fighter who claims to be the baddest man on the planet, he sure isn't making people believe that statement. Calling out Cruz as if he is a relevant fighter is just a cheap way for Cejudo to garner attention for himself. I get it's a bit for him to play the "cringe" fighter, but it's still disappointing for the champion of a division to not call out contenders who are more than ready to step in.