“Too Premature”: Henry Cejudo Dismisses Petr Yan Bantamweight GOAT Claims

Mixed martial arts fans are notorious for recency bias, and the immediate aftermath of UFC 333 was no exception. After Petr Yan put on a masterclass performance to defeat Merab Dvalishvili, social media quickly exploded with claims that the Russian striker had sealed his status as the bantamweight GOAT. But former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo is stepping in to pour cold water on those hot takes.

Speaking on the discourse surrounding the 135-pound division, "Triple C" made it clear that crowning Yan as the greatest bantamweight in combat sports history is a massive stretch.

"Petr Yan just defeated Merab, and now everybody's saying that with 1 title defense, he's the greatest bantamweight of all time," Cejudo said. "I mean, we have Dominick Cruz, we have Aljamain Sterling who beat him twice, we have TJ . I mean, there’s a lot of people that have way more title defenses, and I think that's, that's too premature."

The Resume Standard

Cejudo's argument rests on a simple metric that has long defined combat sports legacies: sustained title defenses. While Yan's impressive 21-5 professional record and elite boxing skills are undeniable, the division's historical standard sits much higher.

Dominick Cruz remains the consensus benchmark for 135-pound supremacy, boasting three UFC bantamweight title defenses alongside four more during his dominant WEC reign. Meanwhile, Aljamain Sterling holds the record for the most consecutive UFC bantamweight title defenses at three, a championship run that famously includes two victories over Yan himself. T.J. Dillashaw also posted three title defenses across two distinct championship reigns in the division.

Cejudo isn't dismissing Yan's elite talents or the magnitude of his triumph over Dvalishvili at UFC 333. Turning back a relentless engine like Dvalishvili is an extraordinary feat for anyone in the weight class. However, in Cejudo’s view, true greatness requires proving you can hold down the throne repeatedly against a conveyor belt of top contenders. Until Yan stacks together a prolonged streak of title defenses, calling him the bantamweight GOAT remains far too premature.