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‘Triple C’ Henry Cejudo wants to see Conor McGregor step inside the Octagon with Jorge ‘Gamebred’ Masvidal when he makes his highly anticipated return to the UFC. Given that Masvidal has established himself as a headliner and that McGregor is the biggest pay-per-view star in the sport, Cejudo anticipates strong attendance for a bout between the two.
Since suffering a severe leg injury in the first round of his trilogy match against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, McGregor has been sidelined. Fans and athletes are heavily speculating over who will enter the cage with the Irish superstar as he prepares for an early 2023 comeback. Henry Cejudo, who is reported to be making his comeback in the upcoming year, thinks Jorge Masvidal would be the ideal opponent for Conor McGregor's spectacular return to competition.
“This is a good fight for Conor McGregor,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “Why? It’s because there’s really no grappling involved. You want guys that can strike and that want to strike and don’t want to grapple. And plus, Jorge Masvidal he hasn’t won a fight – I think he’s on a three- or four-fight losing streak? Something like that? But I think Jorge Masvidal would be the best return for him, 170 pounds. They both have the mouthpiece. Just imagine how many pay-per-views they could sell.”
The current losing skid for "Gamebred" is three matches, with two of those defeats coming to former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Masvidal lost to Colby Covington in a unanimous decision during his final fight at UFC 272. While Conor McGregor has recently struggled in the ring, losing three of his last four fights by submission or knockout. His solitary victory in about six years came over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, a boxer who lost all seven of his subsequent fights before hanging up his gloves.
Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal are still legitimate stars who can sell pay-per-views and pack arenas despite their recent losses. The battle might be sold by either man in their sleep and yet generate a million purchases from people all across the world. One thing becomes clear when you consider McGregor's desire to fight at welterweight as well as both fighters' dismal records: the fight just makes sense. Masvidal and McGregor traded verbal strikes on social media at the beginning of the year, much to the pleasure of fans who wanted to watch the two well-known pay-per-view stars confront in a battle.
The winner of the anticipated title battle rematch between champion Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman, as well as Kevin Holland, Paddy Pimblett, and Colby Covington, made Cejudo's top-five list of potential opponents for McGregor.
He won’t be surprised if UFC award the Notorious a title shot in the welterweight division on his much-awaited return to the octagon.
“He’s earned it not though accolades, but he’s earned it through sales,” Cejudo said. “He’s earned it through the numbers. I think Kamaru Usman, and Leon Edwards would welcome him. That would be their No. 1 pick, so the champ should also have a say, too.
“At the end of the day, I wouldn’t be mad at it, but I kind of probably would be. I have mixed emotions, but at the same time, I feel like Conor has really earned his stripes. But it comes through sales.”