Early on at UFC 238, it looked like Henry Cejudo goal of becoming a two-division champion would end in disappointment for the flyweight champion. But Cejudo overcame a disasterous first round to capture the vacant bantamweight championship over top contender Marlon Moraes in the main event Saturday night. Cejudo (15-2), who packed on 10 pounds for this fight, scored a third-round technical knockout victory.
Moraes looked dominant in the first round and through much of the second, appearing to have even hurt Cejudo through a series of lower body attacks. However, Cejudo completely turned thing saround in the last 90 seconds of the second round. Cejudo dug deep and dialed up the pressure, unloading some powerful blows. A series of knee strikes from the clinch took the wind out of Moraes sails.
Cejudo kept up the pressure in the third round and again landed some vicious knees to Moraes' face. Clearly gassed, Moraes was taken down to the mat where he could do little to fend off the attack. WIth about 20 seconds remaining in the round, a series of devastating hammerfists by Cejudo forced the referee to intervene and save a fatigued Moraes from even more punishment.
With the win, Henry Cejudo joins the double champ club which has only three other members: Conor McGregor (never defended either and was eventually stripped of both), Daniel Cormier (vacated light heavyweight title), and Amanda Nunes (currently the women's bantamweight and featherweight champion).