Casey Kenney: Aldo fighting Cejudo next is 'cool with me'
UFC bantamweight Casey Kenney has no issue with Jose Aldo potentially fighting champion Henry Cejudo next.
"(The UFC's) making the matchups they want and you know what? That's cool with me," Kenney told theScore. "I think it's good because if Jose Aldo steals the belt, now I'm chasing Jose Aldo."
Aldo, the former 145-pound champion, dropped down to the bantamweight division at UFC 245 in December. Though "Junior" lost his 135-pound debut in a controversial decision to Marlon Moraes, Kenney believes a title fight between Aldo and Cejudo would eventually set up a more marquee matchup for himself.
"I want to dethrone the 'King of Cringe' (Cejudo) but I'd rather fight Jose Aldo just out of pure respect," Kenney said. "He's a true legend in the sport. Not that Cejudo hasn't done anything but he's not quite Jose Aldo yet."
Kenney (13-1-1) will look to win his seventh straight fight when he faces Merab Dvalishvili at UFC Rio Rancho on Feb. 15. Though his opponent isn't ranked in the top 15, the 28-year-old expects fireworks.
"It's going to be a banger," Kenney explained. "He's a takedown machine but I've proved that I can grapple myself. That's been (Manny) Bermudez and (Ray) Borg's plan to take me down: Submit me and hold me down. It just doesn't work.
"I'm going to get back up even if you do take me down. I either I think I'm gonna knock this dude out or I'm gonna choke him unconscious."
The native of Arizona is currently ranked 15th in the bantamweight division, but he believes a few more wins could propel him into the contender's seat.
"I feel like once you're in that top-15 ladder, you're two, three, four fights away from a title shot depending on how you finish your opponent," he said. "Obviously, we got Petr Yan, Cory Sandhagen and maybe Aldo now. Those guys are figuring out their stuff up there at the top and somebody's got to lose.
"So you know I keep winning, I'm going to slide right in."
The Santa Ana Star Center in New Mexico will host UFC Rio Rancho, with a light heavyweight rematch between Corey Anderson and Jan Błachowicz headlining the card.