Recently crowned flyweight champion Henry Cejudo was separated from his championship hardware during a flight to UFC Fight Night Moscow last week. After eight days apart, Cejudo and the belt were reunited.
“After [eight] long days I had a happy reunion this morning,” Cejudo wrote on Instagram with an accompanying video showing him recovering the title, along with the rest of his luggage, in New York.
Cejudo claimed the title with a split-decision victory over long-reigning champion Demetrious Johnson at UFC 227 on Aug. 4. “The Messenger” has since been angling for a 135-pound title fight against reigning bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw. Cejudo lost his 2008 Olympic gold medal during the wildfires in Northern California last year.
“Let’s be honest, material comes and goes. It’s the memories, it’s the legacy that comes with being a champion,” Cejudo told reporters over the weekend. “I’m going to get a gold medal back. I’m going to get a belt back. But it’s the memories that come with that that makes it special.”