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Former UFC Champ Says Simone Biles Needs ‘Tough Love’ After Withdrawing From Olympic Events

Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo is the latest person to criticize the Team USA gymnast, Simone Biles, for pulling out of her recent events. Cejudo, who won gold in the 2008 Olympics, believes that the 24-year-old champion could use a “kick in the arse.”

Cejudo believes that a tough-love approach could benefit Biles after she withdrew from the competition. “I believe Simone Biles pulling out of this thing is like, I think she really needs to check herself. I think there’s time for a little bit of tough love. ​​If she was my sister, this is exactly what I would do,” said Cejudo. “So, I would never say something that I wouldn’t do to my personal family or anything like that. Or even for me, because I do believe sometimes we do need a nice kick in the arse.”

For Cejudo, he knows about the pressures of performing at the Olympic games. He won a gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the Beijing Olympics.

“People say the media created her and you know they put upon this pressure. Not really. They only give you a platform, a limelight. It’s up to you to believe it and to accept it. If you start to think you’re the GOAT and the greatest of all time, then that’s on you,” he said.

Cejudo on Simone Biles: ‘Pressure Could either Bust Pipes or It Can Create and Make Diamonds’

He added: “There’s two things that pressure can do. Pressure could either break, or it could make diamonds. Pressure could either bust pipes or it can create and make diamonds. You choose what to do for it, or what to do with it, remember that.”

As a winner of 16 of his 18 career MMA fights, Cejudo wants to clarify that he’s undoubtedly supporting Biles to make a return to the mat. “Remember that there’s a reason why you are an Olympic champion. There’s nothing new,” he said. “It’s all in you, you’re going against you, and I hope you can come back from that.”

As of now, Biles has withdrawn herself from Monday’s floor exercise final at the Olympics, according to Team USA Gymnastics on Sunday. She has not decided whether to participate in the balance beam final, set for Tuesday. She earned a bronze medal in the event at the Rio Olympics.

Previously, Biles had removed herself from the all-around final, in addition to the vault and uneven bars finals.

“Simone has withdrawn from the event final for floor and will make a decision on beam later this week,” a tweet from the team read. “Either way, we’re all behind you, Simone.”

Last week, Biles qualified for all individual events and was the team favorite to win several gold medals while in Tokyo. She had withdrawn from the team final on Tuesday, following the first event on vault.