På förhand var det inte många som gav Henry Cejudo en chans mot flugviktskungen Demetrious Johnson – och i första ronden såg det mörkt ut för Cejudo. Låga bensparkar gjorde att Cejudo hade svårt att stödja på vänsterbenet, vilket tvingade honom att byta fighter stance.
Ju längre matchen led dock, så visade Cejudo att han hade vad som krävdes för att besegra Johnson, som han gjorde via delat domslut.
“It’s a true testimony of an underdog,” sade Cejudo på presskonferensen efter matchen. “I lasted the first fight with Demetrious Johnson two minutes and 36 seconds, and I felt like it was going that way in the very first round too. Those calf kicks, really I couldn’t plant.
I was forced to switch southpaw, but it actually helped me. Before all this, I said in order for me to beat Demetrious, it had to be with distance, timing, and composure. And that’s exactly how we took this fight. He got to my legs and that was okay. I wanted Demetrious to work.”
Föddes ett stenkast från Staples Center
Cejudo är barn till invandrare och som ung växte han upp bara ett par kilometer från den plats där han skulle skriva historia som den första någonsin att peta ned Johnson från flugviktstronen.
Det är även tio år sedan han blev den yngste någonsin att ta OS-medalj i brottning – och nu har han bara ett av de tre målen han skrev upp som tonåring kvar att uppfylla.
“This is surreal. This is a kid who was born 10 miles away from Staples Center, the ghetto streets of South Central LA, to Mexican immigrants, to being an Olympic champion at the age of 21″ sade Cejudo.
”My mother wasn’t able to go to the Olympics due to her citizenship status to her becoming a U.S. citizen about eight years ago, and me now, 10 years later, being an Olympic champion now carrying UFC gold — it really is a dream come true.
On August 19 (2008), I became the youngest in history to ever win an Olympic gold medal (in wrestling), and on August 4, I defeated the man, the myth, the legend Demetrious Johnson. It feels super good.”
“Now I feel like I can rest, I can sleep,” fortsatte Cejudo. “I had three goals in my life when I was 17 years old. I remember reading the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, and I remember writing my goals down, and my number one goal in life was just to be a good husband and a good father someday. That was number one, as a 17-year-old kid.
“Number two was to be an Olympic champion, was to be the best in the world at a sport that I just love. And then number three was to be a UFC champion, and I’ve done two out of the three.” Transkriberat av MMAFighting
Spana in vad mer Cejudo hade att säga i videorutan ovan!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FTHWfPkMLQ
