IRVINE, Calif. – Henry Cejudo has hinted at the possibility of retirement if his comeback doesn’t go as planned, and Merab Dvalishvili, his opponent, is taking those claims seriously. Despite Cejudo’s history of toying with the media and sending mixed messages, Dvalishvili (16-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) firmly believes that Cejudo (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) will call it quits in MMA if he loses to him on Saturday at UFC 298. Dvalishvili sees multiple signs indicating that this is Cejudo’s last shot at staying in the title race.
“I agree with him,” Dvalishvili told reporters at the UFC 298 media day on Wednesday. “He’s speaking based on facts. If he beats me, he will fight for the title because he was a champion before. He lost to a great champion, Aljamain Sterling, by split decision. He’s a well-known name and a skilled fighter. But if he loses, he won’t continue fighting just to fight and eventually earn a No. 1 contender fight. It takes time, and now he has a family and money. I don’t think he just wants to fight. He wants the gold. So if he loses to me, he will retire.”
Cejudo has retired in the past and then made a comeback, which has made some people skeptical of his claims leading up to UFC 298. However, Dvalishvili found himself in a similar situation when he faced former UFC champion Jose Aldo in 2022.
“He knows he has to defeat me, or else he’s finished,” Dvalishvili said. “He’s fighting to beat me and earn the belt. It was the same when I fought Jose Aldo. He had won three fights in a row, defeating ‘Chito’ Vera and other contenders. If he had beaten me, he would have been set to fight for the title. But I defeated him, and he didn’t want to start from scratch and climb the ladder again. It’s the same scenario now. Jose Aldo retired after our fight, and I believe it will be the same for Henry.”
Given Cejudo’s current position, Dvalishvili believes that this fight will be particularly tough for his opponent due to the high stakes involved.
“For him, it’s either everything or nothing,” Dvalishvili said. “That’s his mindset, and that’s what makes him dangerous.”
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com