Why Henry Cejudo went from Brandon Moreno’s mentor to training his opponent at UFC 270

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., and TIJUANA, Mexico — Brandon Moreno was prone on his knees and elbows, his head resting on the Octagon canvas. It’s Aug. 31, 2016, in Las Vegas, and Moreno’s potential run in the UFC was not off to the best start. He had just lost his opening bout on The Ultimate Fighter 24 reality series.

Henry Cejudo, Moreno’s then-mentor and close friend, went over to the emotional Moreno and put a hand on his back in an effort to console him.

“Good work, my king,” Cejudo told his young protégé in Spanish. “I love you very much.”

Despite the gesture, their previously tight relationship had already begun to fray. Three days prior to that scene, Cejudo, then a UFC flyweight contender coaching on that season of the show, did not choose Moreno with his team’s first selection. Instead, Cejudo’s pick, Alexandre Pantoja, triggered a corresponding move that sent Moreno to future opponent Joseph Benavidez’s team.

“Look how my life f—ing works,” a crushed Moreno said at the time. “Can you believe this happened to me?”

That was the first domino to fall in what has become an increasingly bitter feud between Moreno and Cejudo. It’s a story of a close bond between great fighters, and perceived betrayal on both sides. In the nearly six years since TUF 24, Cejudo has won the UFC flyweight and bantamweight titles, retired and become a coach….