Henry Cejudo will have a new challenger for his bantamweight title-defence as Jose Aldo has pulled out of the UFC 250 fight card.
Despite losing his bantamweight debut in December 2019, the Ultimate Fighting Championship gave the featherweight legend a shot at the 135-pound title to challenge Cejudo in the main event of UFC 250 on May 9, 2020 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Aldo is forced to stop his training camp in Rio de Janeiro but he is still confident he’ll beat ‘Triple C’ in their upcoming showdown.
“We’re all isolated. We’re in quarantine, so, when it’s over, we’ll take all the precaution needed and be able to train jiu-jitsu and spar,” he told MMA Fighting last week.
“We’ll be able to do out normal training. The gym is closed, so we’ll open it just for us and train without risking getting contaminated or contaminating others.”
Henry Cejudo vs. Jose Aldo Championship fight set for UFC 250 on May 9 in Brazil. pic.twitter.com/JPqtqsqsbw
— mma 21+ ⚉ (@mma21plus) February 24, 2020
Aldo Out, Cruz In
Aside from abandoning his training camp at the Nova Uniao gym, the former UFC champion also shared that the weight cut remains to be his biggest struggle.
“F***, I only need a week of training to beat Cejudo,” Aldo said.
“I’m more worried about making weight than fighting him. I can be off camp, on vacation, but if you put me in the Octagon with him, I beat him with an eye closed.”
“So, for me, it’s not about sparring, if I only have a month or a week to train, I beat him even if I’m not training. The only problem is the weight, so that’s why I’m eating well. I’m cool about the fight though, don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not sloppy or out of shape just because I’m not at the gym. I’m active, keeping my weight low, eating well, so I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Now, a report from Brazilian news outlet, Combate, claimed that the UFC legend has dropped out of the bantamweight title bout against Cejudo, with Dominick Cruz stepping in as replacement.
BREAKING: Jose Aldo is out of UFC 250. Dominick Cruz steps in to fight Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title. Verbal agreement. By @raphamarinho and @anahissa. https://t.co/8aKb5OQVXX
— Marcelo Russio (@MarceloRussio) April 9, 2020
Cruz has informed the defending champion about the development, saying a fight deal is already signed and sealed.
https://twitter.com/HenryCejudo/status/1248093447262580736
What do you think of the UFC’s 250 new main event fight? Will Dominick Cruz dethrone Henry Cejudo?
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Jose Aldo and Henry Cejudo)