Henry Cejudo is at risk of experiencing a few unwanted firsts at UFC Seattle.
With a loss to Song Yadong in Saturday's main event, Cejudo will find himself on the first three-fight losing streak of his storied career. It would also be the first time he's lost to an opponent behind him in the rankings (Cejudo currently stands at No. 10 on our list, Song at No. 15). And it could be the first time he's had the prospect of retirement forced upon him, which could mean it's the last time we see "Triple C" compete.
Cejudo turned 38 two weeks ago, which is well past the athletic peak for most people not named LeBron James or if you're not a UFC heavyweight. Even the incredibly accomplished Cejudo will have to take a long, long look in the mirror Sunday morning if he fails to have his hand raised yet again since coming out of his first retirement in 2023. Cejudo has already done some broadcasting and podcasting work, so it's possible he has one foot out the door.
It's on Song to usher him out the rest of the way. A win over Cejudo will do wonders for Song's championship hopes, especially when you consider he's still only 27 years old. He's been searching for that signature victory, with the likes of Cory Sandhagen and Petr Yan denying him entry to the bantamweight penthouse, and defeating a former two-division champion is definitely grounds for reappraisal.
When: Saturday, Feb. 22. The seven-fight preliminary card begins at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+, followed by a five-fight main card at 9 p.m. ET also on ESPN+.
I can't believe I'm saying this: I think Henry Cejudo has still got it. Enough of it left to win this fight, anyway.
Since Cejudo came back, I've been as vocal as anyone that he didn't deserve to be thrown back in the rankings of a stacked division. He kind of proved me wrong in his comeback fight when he took Aljamain Sterling to the limit in a championship fight and was inches away from regaining the title, and you can't ding him too much for being in the path of the Merab Dvalishvili bulldozer in his next fight. Still, two losses are two losses and I'd seen enough to feel like it wasn't meant to be for Cejudo this time around.
But this matchup makes a lot of sense for him.
Skill-wise, Cejudo is still up there with anyone in the division, it's really the physical question marks that have him positioned as the underdog to Song Yadong. Those questions are substantial though, considering the mileage Cejudo has put on his body as he ticks closer to 40, a nearly inconceivable age at which to be competing in the UFC's bantamweight division. It's entirely possible that Song just out-youths Cejudo and knocks him out in the first three rounds.
Cejudo still has the cheat code of wrestling to fall back on and that's how he wins this one. His striking is more than good enough to hang with the quicker Song and if there's too much heat on the feet, dive for a leg or two, Hank. Song's best wins are Marlon Vera (incredibly close decision) and Marlon Moraes (which turned out to be Moraes' fourth loss in career-closing seven-fight skid), so he hasn't proven he can "win the big one" just yet.
Expect another valiant effort from Song that ends just short on the scorecards. And yes, at least one more Cejudo fight after this one.
Pick: Cejudo
Brendan Allen has been waiting seven years for another shot at Anthony Hernandez, but if it's revenge he seeks, he's going to have to keep waiting, Hernandez is on a roll to the top of the middleweight ladder and Allen won't be the one to stop him.
As impressive as both fighters have been since their LFA 32 clash, it's Hernandez who has the edge in my books. His aggressive grappling and non-stop pressure style are tailor-made for buzzsawing through the 185-pound roster, which includes Allen, a fine offensive fighter who doesn't have the takedown defense to stifle Hernandez.
Allen definitely won't be intimidated by Hernandez and he has enough grappling chops of his own to make this interesting. Expect several fun scrambles and for Allen to threaten with submissions if Hernandez shows the slightest carelessness in his entries. On the feet, Allen will swing for the fences, leaving open the possibility that he takes Hernandez's head off with a timely combination.
But this is Hernandez's fight to lose and he knows it. His confidence is at its peak right now, so I'm going with him to wear Allen down and score a submission in the second round.
Pick: Hernandez
This is the trickiest matchup of the main card, as the always resilient Rob Font takes on the fast-rising Jean Matsumoto. Not only does this pit two fighters with vastly different résumés against one another, it's also happening on short notice, meaning Matsumoto has barely had a week's notice to prepare for the biggest test of his young career.
Like I said, tricky.
In my eyes, Matsumoto's 16-0 record is legit, with just the right smattering of quality minor league competition and step-up opponents that have helped him to improve with every second of cage time. His all-around game has all the makings of a bantamweight that's going to stick around in the UFC for a long time.
You can never count out Font, especially when you see how he's dealt with younger fighters aiming to take his spot and how well he's done against the elite of the division, even if he hasn't found that extra gear needed to join them. His boxing is always on point and his chin is unwavering. He's poised to hand Matsumoto his first loss.
Still, I like what I've seen from Matsumoto so far and I'm going with him to get the decision nod, announcing himself as a dark horse contender in a division that is suddenly roomier at the top.
I don't know if Silva is a future world champion, but he's definitely a guy nobody should want to face after seeing what he did to Drew Dober, Charles Jourdain, and Westin Wilson. The Brazilian finisher has no interest in scorecards or the safety of his opponents. Respectfully, I'm sure.
Melsik Baghdasaryan has some fine striking chops, so it's not like this is a total mismatch, but there is no substitute for sheer ferocity, which is why Silva is such a massive favorite. While Baghdasaryan might be content winning a decision, his opponent is looking to remove his face from his face.
What can I say? I'm buying into the hype. The Fighting Nerds are quickly developing a reputation as the team to watch and everyone should tune in to see Silva knock Baghdasaryan out on Saturday.
Pick: Silva
Not to echo my main event pick, but I feel like Alonzo Menifield isn't as washed as it seems at a glance. Certainly not the point that he should be catching Ls from a six-fight UFC rookie.
With respect to Julius Walker, who seems like a nice enough dude that's happy to be here, this is an enormous leap up in competition for the undefeated fighter. The 25-year-old, 6-foot-4 light heavyweight prospect has looked fine disposing of regional competition, even muscling his way to wins over veterans Myron Dennis and Bevon Lewis, but he hasn't shown much variety to his game other than tackling his opponents to the mat and bludgeoning them on the ground. Wait, what am I saying? That can take you pretty far at 205 pounds!
I just don't believe Menifield is susceptible to those tactics yet. Walker, disappointingly, has shown little evidence of a jab, so there's not much he can do with his 81-inch reach other than put out feelers to set up takedowns. Menifield still has good hands, despite what his recent knockout losses say. He'll keep this one on the feet and deliver a rude awakening to Walker.