The UFC thrives on storylines that resonate with fans, and few matchups scream “unfinished business” louder than Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz. Their first bout at UFC 249 surely created a lot of buzz. While some fans hailed Cejudo’s TKO win, others were left fuming over the referee’s decision for the stoppage. So a rematch is something that the MMA community has been longing for. However, the plans never hit the drawing board. At least until now.

Recently, ‘The Dominator’ got into a war of words with Team Cejudo on X after Jon Anik suggested a rematch between the two. Cejudo’s coach Ali Abdelaziz believed that it would be an easy fight for his fighter; however, Cruz showed strong disagreement by calling out Abdelaziz with some stringent words. “You are simply a work mule… Your words hold no weight.” This drew the ire of Abdelaziz, who said he wouldn’t charge Cejudo a single penny for the clash since he knew that ‘Triple C’ would easily humble him again. A truly spicy scenario for the UFC!

And after the soaring success that was UFC 309, Dana White would be looking to have another UFC event that will shatter the record of more previous gates. What better opportunity than to set a fight between two fighters now? Still not convinced? Well, there are more reasons why the rematch is the go-to fight for the UFC head honcho.

A chance to seek redemption for Dominick Cruz

After all this smack talk, ‘The Dominator’ surely would be amped up for a rematch. When Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz faced off at UFC 249, the fight concluded in a fashion that left both fans and Cruz wanting more. Cejudo landed a powerful knee strike followed by a barrage of punches, leading the referee, Keith Peterson to stop the bout in the second round. While ‘Triple C’ won decisively, Cruz felt the stoppage was premature.

A rematch would surely provide Cruz with an opportunity to seek redemption. As for Cejudo, he will get the chance to shut down his critics who questioned his win against ‘The Dominator’. If ‘Triple C’ manages to beat Cruz again, he will prove to everyone once and for all that he is the better fighter between the two.

Cejudo vs. Cruz 2: A perfect send-off for both UFC legends

Dominick Cruz has been working as a color analyst and training at the UFC Performance Institute since losing to Marlon Vera in August 2022. A rematch against Henry Cejudo would give him the perfect opportunity to make a comeback worth remembering for ages. Not only will he get the redemption he wants, but it can also be the perfect send-off. After all, Cruz, at 39 years old, is definitely at the fag end of his career and has expressed his readiness for one final dance.

In an interview with TMZ, he said, “I’ll tell you, I think I got a last dance; I want one last dance in me. Just go out there and have fun, and when I say fun, I mean fight to the bitter death and see what I have in me.” So what better way to close the curtains than to defeat the fighter who you believed got an unfair win? And with all the smack talk with Ali Abdelaziz, it will be the perfect story arc for a farewell fight.

However, it’s not just Cruz who may call it quits. The internet was abuzz with retirement rumors about Henry Cejudo after his loss to Merab Dvalishvili. After all, ‘The King of Cringe’ stated that he would retire after a loss. But ‘Triple C’ decided not to hang his gloves just yet and is looking for another send-off fight. Since their first bout was so memorable, a second showdown would provide him with the high-profile exit he seeks. And one, that will clear all doubts about him being the better fighter between the two.

No better find in hand for ‘Triple C’ or ‘The Dominator’

Neither Henry Cejudo nor Dominick Cruz have an apparent path to the title or a brewing rivalry with any title holders or contenders. So given their current rankings and recent performances, a rematch between these two legends makes perfect sense for the UFC to book. Both fighters are coming off losses, with Henry Cejudo losing against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 298, while Dominick Cruz, hasn’t fought since his KO loss to Marlon Vera. So booking the two would give a perfect send-off to at least one of them with a win.

It is also evident by the recent war of words on X that fans are tuned in to see the two fight. A rematch is always one that catches a lot of attention, and if a previous fight ended in controversy, fans would love to see a definitive win in a rematch. So for now, it seems like ‘Triple C’ vs. ‘The Dominator’ is the best fight that Dana White can book for either of these fighters. But what do you think? Do you want to see a rematch? Let us know in the comments.