What did UFC fighter Henry Cejudo say about Simone Biles' decision to withdraw from Tokyo Olympics final?

A year ago, Simone Biles shocked the world by announcing her withdrawal from the women's gymnastics team final at the Tokyo Olympics. Biles - the most decorated American gymnast of all time - bowed out of the finale citing mental health problems. The young gymnast’s decision became a major talking point.

While many welcomed Simone Biles’ decision to bow out of the Olympics, a few questioned it. Apart from fans, even athletes like former Olympic champion Michael Phelps, also considered a legend in his sport, came out in support of Biles.

A few others had a comment or two to make on the decision and former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo was one of them.

Speaking on Biles’ decision to withdraw from the competition, Henry Cejudo said that the gymnast needed to ‘check herself’. Sounding unimpressed by the young athletes’ decision, Cejudo said that Biles needed a 'little bit of tough love'.

Cejudo, who became the youngest American to win the Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, said that the gymnast 'made a mistake' and needed to reconsider her decision.

Henry Cejudo's message to Simone Biles

Former UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo released a video message after Simone Biles’ announcement regarding her withdrawal from the Olympics.

Cejudo claimed he was experienced enough to address Biles' withdrawal. Speaking about the gymnast's decision, Cejudo stated that he thought the gymnast was not under pressure from the media or fans. Cejudo said on Twitter:

“I believe Simone Biles pulling out of this thing is like, I think she really needs to check herself. I think there's time for a little bit of tough love. If she was my sister, this is exactly what I would do."

"So, I would never say something that I wouldn't do to my personal family or anything like that. Or even for me, because I do believe sometimes, we do need a nice kick in the back."

Furthermore, the former UFC fighter addressed the fact that Biles had received an immense amount of attention. Cejudo said:

“People say the media created her and you know they put upon this pressure. Not really. They only give you a platform, a limelight. It's up to you to believe it and to accept it."

"If you start to think you're the GOAT and the greatest of all time, then that’s on you. I do believe she made a mistake. I think now she kind of tends to take it back knowing that a lot of things are backfiring."

The freestyle wrestler added that he wasn’t going to tag Simone Biles in his video message but wished she saw it. Despite disagreeing with Biles' decision, Cejudo extended support for the gymnast. The wrestler stated that Biles was a self-made athlete and must believe in herself.

Simone Biles is a four-time Olympic gold medalist. She is arguably the best female gymnast in history. It is pertinent to note that Biles is only 25 and she could compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.