Henry Cejudo, the former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion, recently spoke out about Conor McGregor’s controversial comments regarding Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father.
In a pre-match interview, Cejudo criticized McGregor for taking things too far. ‘Triple C’ was not happy to see McGregor crossing a line that should not be crossed.
What did Henry Cejudo say about the Conor-Khabib fiasco?
McGregor and Nurmagomedov have had a long-standing rivalry. Their feud culminated in a highly publicized fight at UFC 229 in 2018. After Nurmagomedov’s victory, McGregor made a series of inflammatory comments about Nurmagomedov’s family. ‘Notorious’ did not even leave Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
In the interview, Cejudo expressed his disappointment with McGregor’s behavior. He said, “I think Conor took things a little too far with Khabib’s father. There are certain lines that you just don’t cross, and family is one of them. It’s not just about the fighters, it’s about the people around them as well.”
Henry, you can’t be saying these things about Conor when you are going to hang out and make appearances with dictators & their kids pic.twitter.com/8gfsraKznd
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) May 3, 2023
Does Cejudo want anything to do with Conor McGregor in the future?
Cejudo’s comments echo those of many in the MMA community, who have criticized McGregor for his comments about Nurmagomedov’s family. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov passed away in 2020 due to complications from COVID-19. McGregor’s comments were seen as particularly insensitive given those circumstances.
Despite the controversy surrounding McGregor’s comments, Cejudo acknowledged the Irish fighter’s impact on the sport of MMA. The Messenger deems McGregor as a great fighter. The former Irish two-division champion has done a lot for the sport. But, at the end of the day, Cejudo needs to remember that everyone is a human being. Which is why, Cejudo feels the need to treat each other with respect. He does not want to work with McGregor for this very reason. Cejudo is tired of seeing McGregor agitating people here and there.
Trash-talking and rivalries are a part of combat sports. However, Cejudo once again reminded the entire community that certain lines should not be crossed. To this day, many have not been able to digest those antics. And, Cejudo himself could not take those McGregor comments lightly. Which is why, people in the MMA community have called for more respect and civility in the sport.
Cejudo’s criticism of Conor McGregor’s comments sheds light on the importance to remember that fighters are human beings with families and loved ones. McGregor’s comments regarding Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov were incendiary. And ahead of his big return, Cejudo did not refrain himself from speaking on that.
The former Olympic champion will take on Aljamain Sterling on his grand return on UFC 288. Who do you think will win this bout?
