When Henry Cejudo leaked Dana White's plan of shutting down UFC flyweight division to Joe Rogan after Demetrious Johnson trade: "Cat’s out of the bag"

In a throwback revelation from 2018, UFC fighter and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo disclosed Dana White’s plans for a major restructuring of the promotion’s weight classes during his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast.

Following his split-decision victory over the long-time flyweight kingpin Demetrious Johnson at UFC 227, Cejudo recounted how White had hinted that the men’s 125-pound division was nearing its end after the trade with ONE Championship for Demetrious Johnson.

Cejudo revealed that White had candidly mentioned the possibility of shutting down the flyweight division, suggesting instead a potential challenge with then-bantamweight titleholder T.J. Dillashaw:

“I think more than likely that T.J. [Dillashaw] fight might happen. That T.J. fight might happen if they’re going to be done with the flyweight division. I think that cat’s out of the bag and Dana had mentioned that to me. He said, ‘Hey Cejudo, we’re going to take you up on that challenge for you to go up against T.J., but this is what the company has been thinking about for while.’” [H/t: BJ Penn]

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Henry Cejudo returns to headline event against Song Yadong at UFC Seattle

The UFC returns to Seattle for the first time in over a decade, igniting excitement at Climate Pledge Arena this weekend with a stacked fight card featuring pivotal matchups and emerging talents. Headlining the event is former bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo, who will face Chinese standout Song Yadong on Saturday, Feb. 22, in a bout expected to reshape the 135-pound division.

Cejudo, stepping back into action for his third fight since a three-year hiatus, is determined to end a two-fight losing streak. His setbacks include a title bout loss to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 and a defeat against current champion Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old Song, already established in the top 10, holds a 5-2 record over his last seven contests. However, recent losses against fighters like Cory Sandhagen and Petr Yan have stalled his momentum.

Adding to the evening’s allure is a middleweight clash featuring Brendan Allen and Anthony Hernandez. With both headline fighters eager to advance their standings, Saturday’s card promises a high-stakes showdown.