Henry Cejudo calls Israel Adesanya ‘Dana White’s boy’ amid rematch row

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Both fighters and pundits keep arguing whether Israel Adesanya (24-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) should get a rematch with Sean Strickland (28-5 MMA, 15-5 UFC), after Adesanya was dominated in the match for as much as five rounds. MMA Henry Cejudo artist called Adesanya ‘Dana White’s boy’ in a message from his YouTube handle while attacking the idea.

Adesanya lost to Sean Strickland in a memorable upset at UFC 293, after many expected him to win the match. Even UFC CEO Dana White was verbal with his own shock, and described Israel Adesanya as one in a ‘slow motion’ all through the match. Just like all that know how once-underdog Israel Adesanya won his long-time foe, Alex Pereira in a last of a trilogy bout, he wondered whether something was secretly wrong with the fighter. It was as the CEO spoke that he hinted there should be rematch. Something that many think is either bad for Adesanya, or partial on Dana White’s side.

‘If I’m in Israel’s shoes, now is time to take a break,’Henry  Cejudo countered the rematch idea. ‘Now is time for me to let this division kind of move on. … Since Dana White loves you so much, if you wait a little bit, you raise the stock value of you – people will miss you. Maybe make them miss you after a loss because remember, that’s two losses in the last eight (10) months. In his last three fights, he’s lost twice.

‘Yeah, he had a spectacle, and he was able to knock out Alex Pereira, but you lose another fight like that against a one-dimensional fighter like Sean Strickland, that really tarnishes your legacy. If you come back and beat him, kudos, but you still lost to a guy like Sean Strickland. If I’m Israel Adesanya, I’d be taking a backseat.’

Though nothing has been said by White concerning all this allegations of favouritism and even disfavourable partiality, White has revealed that Strickland’s victory is already bringing sweet returns to the organisation. Many think the reason Dana White desired the rematch was the fear of losing a lucrative, veteran brand.

But Cejudo’s reason why the the match should not repeat might be shared by many. While speaking through his YouTube handle, Cejudo reasoned as follows:

‘After losing four rounds to one, does he deserve a rematch now? No, 100 percent no. Daniel Cormier doesn’t believe it, Chael Sonnen doesn’t believe it, the rest of the whole damn world doesn’t believe it. Will he get it? One hundred percent. When you’re Dana White’s boy, when you’re his cash cow, when you’re an entertainer and when you’ve done special things like Israel and you’ve been able to kind of grow the sport, Dana White will give you that opportunity.

My question is for you, Israel: Is it smart for you to take a fight against a guy like Sean Strickland? Is Sean Strickland the guy to come back after being dominated in a five-round fight? I didn’t see that spark in him. It was a trip. It’s not like Sean Strickland even did anything special either. He fought him the way he fought everybody else, and he was able to win.’

Now, whether Cejudo is right or not, the UFC has only one CEO.