Emotional Henry Cejudo apologizes to Brandon Moreno and ends rivalry; Mexican responds

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Cejudo backstage at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC

Henry Cejudo is taking advantage of his last moments in MMA to settle differences with the other fighters at UFC 323. This Saturday (6), the former flyweight (up to 57 kg) and bantamweight (up to 61,2 kg) champion faces Payton Talbott in his retirement fight, however, at the pre-event press conference, he was more concerned with settling things with Brandon Moreno.

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At the ceremony held last Thursday (4), Cejudo showed his humility by apologizing to the former flyweight champion, thus admitting that he may have been wrong about him in certain situations in the past. It is worth noting that, for a long time, the fighters were friends, but the relationship between them deteriorated, largely due to their participation in TUF 24, in 2016. Before that, in the same season, Moreno helped Henry in training to challenge Demetrious Johnson , but the latter lost his MMA undefeated record via knockout in the first round.

Already on the show, Cejudo, one of the coaches, prioritized having Alexandre Pantoja on the team, leaving the Mexican aside and forcing him to go to Joseph Benavidez 's team . Curiously, Moreno assisted 'Joe-B' in his victory over 'Triple C'. From then on, the American put 'The Assassin Baby' on his list of enemies and began to harass him. After years, Henry decided to rekindle a good relationship with the athlete and embraced him.

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“Moreno and I weren’t just training partners. We lived together. I had the opportunity to reflect a lot on our careers, that whole falling out happened, but I think it was necessary. I moved on and became a champion. He also moved on and became a champion. I really want to make peace with you. I’m sorry for many things. I want to bury this feud. A hug? We spent nine years together, we have a history. We haven’t spoken in a long time. We’ll talk later. There are many things we can resolve. Case closed for me,” said the MMA legend.

Moreno backstage at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/X/UFC

After enduring years of trash talk from the American in the UFC, Moreno, known for being a cheerful and easygoing professional, displayed fair play and approved of his attempt at reconciliation. It's true that the Mexican made it clear he intends to speak with the MMA legend personally, but, in any case, he showed himself open to ending the rivalry once and for all.

“I really appreciate the comments. To be honest, I'm more reserved, I prefer to talk to you backstage. I feel a little uncomfortable with all these people in front of us, but I really appreciate it. I think there's been a lot of confusion over time, but nothing too serious. In the end, we're at different points in our lives. I'm trying to keep fighting and he's fighting for the last time in the UFC. I've always been a peaceful guy. Maybe we can talk more later, but I really appreciate what you've done now,” the athlete concluded.