“We know each other from a long time ago. He kept inviting me here to train, and he’s an outstanding guy; a two-division UFC champion and he’s also an Olympic champion. His understanding of this game, his understanding of this sport really impressed me, so I came here.”
Initially, it seemed like a random pairing, but after visiting Fight Ready MMA and Fitness in Scottsdale, Arizona and seeing the former two-division champion work alongside China’s first-ever UFC champion, it all started to make sense.
“Being able to teach and coach is something I’ve never really done before,” Cejudo said. „When it comes to the highest levels, I feel like that’s my calling. To train with the one-percenters. I feel like I can use those tweaks and turns in order to create a whole ‘nother animal — because that happened with me.
“The first time I lost to Demetrious Johnson, I knew that I had to make a bunch of tweaks and turns in my own career. I made those adjustments, but I continue to see athletes at this high level that haven’t made those adjustments yet. So that’s been something I’ve been able to share with Weili.”
MORE UFC 268: Fight Week Blog | Kamaru Usman | Colby Covington | Rose Namajunas | Zhang Weili | Michael Chandler | Justin Gaethje | Al Iaquinta | Bobby Green
Despite Cejudo’s retirement from competition more than a year ago and the hefty language barrier, the two former champions work together beautifully, focusing on both the physical and mental side of rematches.
“I can relate to her. I was knocked out, pretty much in the first round. She was knocked out by Rose in the first round,” Cejudo said, referencing his first title shot against Demetrious Jonhson in 2016. “I told her, ‘Listen, we have to accept this. We made a mistake or something happened, but whatever it is, we have to accept this loss.’ So that’s key number one. Then, we also have to make some adjustments, because whatever got us there didn’t work. True adversity is what reveals and builds character. I told her that this world championship will be more special after you’ve defeated the person that defeated you.”
