THE UFC ARE set to crown a new flyweight champion early in 2020.
Due to his preference for focusing on his defence of the bantamweight belt, Henry Cejudo (15-2) has confirmed that he is relinquishing the 125-pound title.
Following an initial report from BJPenn.com, the 2008 Olympic freestyle wrestling gold medallist clarified the situation to ESPN.
Sources told ESPN that the vacant flyweight title will be on the line on 29 February when Joseph Benavidez (28-5) faces Deiveson Figueiredo (17-1) in the main event at UFC Fight Night 169 in Norfolk, Virginia.
Cejudo is now hoping that his next outing will be a bantamweight title defence against former featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who suffered a somewhat controversial split-decision loss to Marlon Moraes in his 135-pound debut last weekend.
“I’m going to relinquish the belt,” said Cejudo. “UFC never stripped me. I want to relinquish the belt and focus on 135 pounds. I want to smash the so-called ‘King of Rio’ [Jose Aldo], and anybody and everybody at 135 pounds.
“I saved the flyweight division, but they’re not saved from my wrath, because my name is still ‘Triple C’. Allow me to remind anyone who has forgotten: I am the Olympic, flyweight and bantamweight champion of the world.”
Cejudo caused an upset in August 2018 by dethroning long-time flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. He then became a title-holder in two divisions by stopping Marlon Moraes in a bout for the vacant bantamweight title last June.
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