UFC Returns To Chicago With Two Championship Fights

05 April 2019

Nearly one year after Chicago hosted one of the most exciting cards of the year, UFC returns to the Windy City with another thrilling event featuring two premier title fights, streaming exclusively on ESPN+.

Men’s flyweight champion and No. 5-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world Henry Cejudo moves up in weight to attempt to become only the fourth athlete in history to hold two UFC titles simultaneously when he faces No. 1-ranked bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes for the vacant 135-pound championship.

Also, women’s flyweight champion and No. 15-ranked pound-for-pound  fighter in the world Valentina Shevchenko looks to defend her title for the first time against No. 1-ranked contender Jessica Eye.

Cejudo (14-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.) looks to join an exclusive club home to Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes as the only athletes to hold two UFC championships simultaneously. A former Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, Cejudo successfully made the jump to MMA six years ago and has already defeated some of the biggest names in the sport, including former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson and TJ Dillashaw.

Now, Cejudo looks to prove that he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world by moving up in weight and becoming the only person to finish Moraes in the UFC.

Competing in the first UFC title fight of his career, Moraes (22-5-1, fighting out of Tom’s River, N.J. by way of Nova Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) aims to prove that he is the true king of the bantamweight division. Known for his spectacular finishing ability, Moraes earned his title shot with three impressive first-round stoppages in a row over fellow top-contenders Aljamain Sterling, Jimmie Rivera and Raphael Assuncao.

Moraes now hopes to net his fourth consecutive post-fight bonus and join the pound-for-pound ranks by taking out Cejudo with another impressive performance.

UFC 238: CEJUDO vs. MORAES takes place Saturday, June 8 at United Center.