Should the UFC honor Henry Cejudo's request and book a fight with Brandon Moreno ahead of Mexican Independence Day? Exploring the possibilities

Both Henry Cejudo and Brandon Moreno are at a career crossroads. 'Triple C' is coming off a soul-crushing loss to Merab Dvalishvili, which saw him get outwrestled and dominated in a loss that likely set fire to any possible plans he had to work his way back into title contention.

He has now lost his last two fights and has found himself on the second losing streak of his career. Meanwhile, Moreno is in a similar position, having recently tasted defeat against Brandon Royval, which was also a second consecutive loss in a non-title fight after a title fight.

Naturally, Cejudo, whose competitive itch won't allow him to retire on such a low, challenged Moreno to a bout. To some, the matchup might seem random, but to those who have followed both men's stories closely, it makes all the sense in the world, especially ahead of Mexican Independence Day, as Cejudo requested.

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Henry Cejudo and Brandon Moreno have waged a Cold War of sorts

In the past, Henry Cejudo and Brandon Moreno were friends. The pair even lived and trained together. Unfortunately, close friends who once shared a roof turning into bitter enemies isn't a tale that's unique to either man, not in the combat sports world. So, how did their feud start?

According to the Olympian's coach, Eric Albarracin, flashes of enmity first sparked during their time on 'The Ultimate Fighter 24,' which was defined by the contestants all being reigning champions of regional MMA promotions. However, Moreno was not among the original contestants.

In response, Albarracin requested that Cejudo use his promotional pull as an Olympic gold medalist and then one-time title challenger to facilitate Moreno's inclusion on the show, which he did. After all, 'The Assassin Baby' met the criteria as the then WFF flyweight champion.

However, then came the bad blood when Cejudo, during the team selection phase, did not choose Moreno to be a part of his team. Hurt, the Tijuana native, was instead chosen by Joseph Benavidez. But according to the Olympian's coach, this wasn't done knowingly on Cejudo's part.

Instead, confusion over the seeding process led to Cejudo mistakenly skipping over Moreno. In response, 'The Assassin Baby' assisted Benavidez in his preparation for his then-upcoming bout with Cejudo in the TUF finale, which Benavidez won via a razor-thin split-decision.

Worse still, Albarracin alluded to a past sparring incident that he claims consisted of Cejudo handing Moreno an unforgettable beating. Whether true or not, the seeds of a feud were planted, and the fruits of their mutual dislike have finally unfurled.

There's nothing quite like a feud to set the MMA world alight with interest, and theirs has been kept alive and well, especially with Cejudo previously training his ex-friend's previous rival in Deiveson Figueiredo. After 'Triple C' failed to reclaim bantamweight gold from Aljamain Sterling, he contemplated retirement.

This drew a response from Moreno, who was the reigning flyweight champion at the time. Mexico's first UFC titleholder implored Cejudo to reconsider his decision, challenging him to a bantamweight clash following what he thought would have been a successful title defense against Alexandre Pantoja.

Instead, Moreno lost, but Cejudo has reignited the challenge, recently calling on 'The Assassin Baby' to accept a bout at UFC 306 on Sept. 14, just two days before Mexican Independence Day. Given Cejudo's past statements about Mexico and never claiming his own Mexican heritage, he would be the unquestioned heel.

Meanwhile, Moreno, Mexico's first-ever UFC champion, would be the hero cheered on to humble the villain who scoffs at his own ancestry. As a narrative, the feud writes itself, and the lighter divisions are often bereft of compelling rivalries. This one could change that.

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Henry Cejudo vs. Brandon Moreno is a fight with purpose for the latter

As things stand, Henry Cejudo and Brandon Moreno are no longer in the title picture of their respective divisions. 'Triple C's' defeat against the then-bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling was followed by a lopsided loss to Merab Dvalishvili, putting him on a two-fight losing streak.

Similarly, Moreno, a two-time UFC flyweight champion, dropped his title to Alexandre Pantoja in his second failure to defend his belt successfully. Afterward, he lost a close split-decision to Brandon Royval, which was this past weekend, and also saw him go on a two-fight skid.

Moreno cannot be continuously injected into the flyweight title scene without merit, least of all when six of his last seven fights have been for a title of some form, undisputed and interim. Yet, of those six bouts, he has only won half, losing in two others and getting a draw in another.

His inability to defend any of the titles he had won also sheds light on what may be, to some extent, an undeserved position in the title contention hierarchy. With the UFC flyweight division having a surge of new and compelling talent in Muhammad Mokaev, Amir Albazi, and Manel Kape, there are more options.

Taking it to Instagram, Moreno said:

"Don't retire yet, please wait for me, I'm going to win my fight in July and then we can finish business, main event in Mexico City, I go to 135 lbs, f**k belts, just you and me in the octagon !!"

It can't just be the oversaturated Moreno show. But he is too big a star to be given no-name contenders to build himself back up with. He needs an opponent with name value, a Cejudo. Frankly, the UFC ought to hope that Moreno emerges victorious in such a bout.

Cejudo is 37 years old and paying the price for a disastrous retirement that robbed him of his prime years. He values himself more than the UFC does and once sought to use his championship status to force the promotion's hand when he first retired. Alas, it backfired.

Moreno, meanwhile, appears to be far easier to deal with. What better way to build him back up than to feed him an over-the-hill Cejudo, who gassed out in a three-rounder that consisted mostly of wrestling—which his body is primed for—so that he can use whatever remains of the man's name value for his benefit?

If Moreno wins, he would have settled the score with his rival, and it would be a big enough win that it could fling him back into title contention, perhaps even at 135 pounds now that it seems like the flyweight champion is someone who just has his number.