There remains some uncertainty regarding the status of UFC 250.
While the promotion indefinitely postponed all events last week, no specific timeline was given regarding the upcoming schedule. That includes UFC 250, which was originally slated for Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 9. UFC president Dana White has claimed that he has secured a private island and could have it ready within a month, but details regarding that potential venue are limited.
Henry Cejudo, who was expected to defend his bantamweight title against Jose Aldo at UFC 250, is still in camp preparing as if he will fight next month.
“I think we need to have a conversation with Dana and everybody there, because you don’t want to train and have them give you a certain date, and then you’re not peaking at the right time,” Cejudo told ESPN. “My training is very methodical. Everything I do has to be precise, to make sure I’m 100 percent. You can’t surprise me before, two weeks.
“I need to know today. I don’t have time to waste if this is going to happen. The UFC has postponed a lot of things and people spend their hard-earned money on camps, training partners, strength and conditioning coaches. I imagine whether we fight or not the UFC will compensate a lot of guys who were under contract and had fights.”
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UFC 250 briefly appeared set to move to tribal land in Lemoore, California, before White was ordered to cease operations by ESPN and Disney executives. That would have eliminated Aldo from the event, as the Brazilian would not have been able to obtain a visa in time to compete. Cejudo was then briefly linked to a matchup with former 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz.
If a matchup with Cruz can’t come to fruition, the Olympic gold medalist is also interested in facing ex-lightweight king Frankie Edgar. That is, of course, if the event happens at all.
“I thought about it, with Dominick, he’s unpredictable,” Cejudo said. “He’s too brittle. I’m afraid to sign a contract with him because I’m afraid he won’t show up. Frankie Edgar, he was one of the first people I called out. That’s a fight that’s always kind of given me that appetite for him. He cut to 135, but he’s a former champion at 155 [pounds]. That really intrigues me.”
No matter what, Cejudo doesn’t want to be left in fighter purgatory as the date for UFC 250 approaches. He’s already seen the cruel fate that befell those slated to compete on UFC 249 just days before the event.
“I get what Dana is trying to do for the fighters’ sake, but it’s kind of like, ‘Here, want some pizza? Nope. Want some candy? Nope,'” Cejudo said. “We’re professionals. We should be able to know. That’s all I’m saying.”
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