Jan 22, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; UFC fighter Henry Cejudo sits courtside at the Phoenix Suns game against the Indiana Pacers in the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

mma

Henry Cejudo And Kamaru Usman Have Different Opinions On The Two Most Anticipated Fights Of 2025

Both anticipated fights promise fireworks, but which one will prove to be the bigger draw? Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo have conflicting opinions!

As fans look ahead to 2025, two monumental matchups have the MMA community buzzing. The first is the highly anticipated fight between heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall. The other is a potential lightweight title fight between featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and lightweight king Islam Makhachev.

Former champions Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman find themselves on opposite sides of the fence. They disagree about which bout will capture the greater share of fight fans’ attention.

Both fights promise fireworks, but which one will prove to be the bigger draw?

Henry Cejudo And Kamaru Usman Disagree On Which Fight Will Be Bigger

Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman share a podcast called ‘Pound 4 Pound’, where they interview fighters and talk about upcoming fights as well as analyze past fights. And with two high-level athletes together, disagreements are bound to happen. This is the case with their take on 2 of the most anticipated fights of 2025.

Henry Cejudo has been turning heads with his bold take on the lightweight title fight. ‘Triple C’ believes that Islam Makhachev defending his title against featherweight champion Ilia Topuria could overshadow even the heavyweight clash between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.

Also Read: Islam Makhachev Is Low-Key Funny!

He sees something special in Topuria, who’s been steamrolling competition with his crisp boxing and knockout power. The Georgian-Spanish fighter brings that perfect mix of skill and swagger that tends to draw eyeballs.

“I personally, Kamaru, think that this fight [Makhachev vs. Topuria] could be bigger than Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall,” said Cejudo.

But Kamaru Usman isn’t buying it. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ pointed to the simple fact that heavyweight title fights, especially ones involving Jon Jones, are historically bigger draws. Jones is widely considered the GOAT, and his matchup with the explosive Aspinall has “super-fight” written all over it!

“Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall. That is a humungous fight, for the sheer fact that people wanna see “Can anyone beat Jon Jones?” said Usman.

Kamaru Usman argued that casual fans naturally gravitate towards big names, and few names are as big as Jon ‘Bones’ Jones! And, people are drawn to the idea that the younger Tom Aspinall might be the one to finally break Jones.

While Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall will likely do bigger numbers based on star power alone, Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria could surprise everyone. The lightweight division has always been a goldmine for memorable fights. Add in Topuria’s confidence and Makhachev’s dominance, and there we have a recipe for something truly special!

(Image Credits: Mark J. Rebilas – Imagn)

Henry Cejudo

Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev

Jon Jones

Kamaru Usman

Tom Aspinall

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!