IRVINE, Calif. – Henry Cejudo may choose to retire following UFC 298, or his bout against Merab Dvalishvili could be the initial step towards claiming a third division championship.
This is the pressure that the former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion is placing upon himself. At least outwardly, Cejudo seems to be in a composed state of mind as he approaches Saturday night’s pay-per-view clash at Honda Center in Anaheim.
“My objective, and I understand that some of you may criticize me for this, is still the 145-pound weight class,” Cejudo stated during Wednesday’s UFC 298 media day session. “I’ve already defended my 135-pound title. Yes, I lost my last fight by split decision, but I’m not straying from my goal of moving up. I simply believe that a victory over Merab… I want whoever possesses that 145-pound belt. I feel like I’ve earned it.
“And to add to that, it’s all or nothing. I told my team, ‘It’s either gold or nothing.’ I either win it all, or I won’t have anything, and I’m done. I am imposing that timeline, that pressure on myself, because I take this sport seriously. I’ve accomplished everything there is to accomplish. What the heck, what do I have left to prove? Now, it’s a motivation fueled by a bit of anger. I’m a little pissed at myself, but I’m still motivated.”
Cejudo, 37, initially retired in May 2020 while holding both the flyweight and bantamweight titles. After a three-year absence, he returned in May of this year, but fell short in his attempt to reclaim the 135-pound title in a split decision loss to then-champion Aljamain Sterling.
Assuming that Cejudo’s statement about retiring with a loss remains true, he faces a challenging task in continuing his career, as Dvalishvili (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has been on an impressive nine-fight winning streak since 2018. This includes a comprehensive unanimous decision victory over former champion Petr Yan in March 2023, a performance that has become characteristic of Dvalishvili, who is relentless with his wrestling and boasts perhaps the best cardio in the UFC.
Given Cejudo’s background as an Olympic gold medalist wrestler, it is safe to say that he welcomes the challenge.
“The question is, can you control someone from the top? That’s the key,” Cejudo explained. “The takedown does hold significance, but if you can’t inflict damage from the top – I mean, this is where Khabib made his name. This is where Islam, many of these Dagestanis are excelling, and they’re taking it from the Americans. They’re taking it from folkstyle wrestling – tying up the legs, top control, and so on. Sure, I suppose if you want to play it that way, we can play it that way. Yeah, I’m taking it personally (laughs).”
As far as Cejudo is concerned, this showdown between the second and third-ranked bantamweights is the premier fight in the division, overshadowing next month’s UFC 299 title bout featuring champion Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera.
“I believe that even between Merab and myself, this is the best fight. This is the best fight at 135 pounds,” Cejudo declared. “This is the true world title. Sean is selecting a number six, a guy who lost 50-45 to Sandhagen? That’s who gets a title shot? It doesn’t make sense, but I understand it.”
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com